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55th out of 110 books
—
22 voters
The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest
by
Po Bronson
Dazzling and outrageous, Po Bronson's "The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest" is a knowing, eye-opening, and unrelentingly funny insider's look at the ultimate millenial adventure: the gold rush in Silicon Valley. It is a novel that brazenly opens up the American dream and lays out its twisted circuitry for all to see.
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
July 1st 2000
by Harper Perennial
(first published 1996)
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I read this during my recent trip to Iceland. It's a look back at the golden days of Silicon Valley, before the bubble burst. I can't exactly say that I liked it, but the nostalgia factor made up for it. None of the characters were all that likeable - they are all caricatures of the various types of Silicon Valley people: the idealist computer scientist, geeks of several stripes, venture capital sharks, and all the rest. It reminds me a lot of the TV show "Code Monkeys" in a way.
Coding and politics. Silicon Valley in the early to mid-1990s, before the most recent boom-bust cycle of dot-commery.
We've got Andy Caspar, who reminds me slightly of Howard Roark, the protagonist of The Fountainhead. He is, of course, young and talented, thwarted by his superiors and his peers. What is a young man to do? Burn all his bridges, hopefully. Read if you're interested in the plot, because there's not too much style.
Here's a tiny taste:
"In room 139 was a big red-haired guy who looked...more
We've got Andy Caspar, who reminds me slightly of Howard Roark, the protagonist of The Fountainhead. He is, of course, young and talented, thwarted by his superiors and his peers. What is a young man to do? Burn all his bridges, hopefully. Read if you're interested in the plot, because there's not too much style.
Here's a tiny taste:
"In room 139 was a big red-haired guy who looked...more
This is an awesome book - if you have been in startups like I have where you were hustling for seed money or capital, you'll love this book. Set in Woodside, the places will be familiar to you if you're in the Silicon Valley VC/startup world.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The first Bronson book I read.... a must read to establish geek cred.. A satire novel on Apple and Microsoft ...
great book - pretty computer technical, but a great portrayal of silicon valley competition.
OH my gosh, there's a terrible looking movie version written by The Jon Favreau.
To the Netflix!
To the Netflix!
Great book. Highly recommended, especially in the new bubble times we live in.
An interesting, geeky read.
Not near as good as Bombardiers, still I think it's well worth reading, esp if you are from northern California.
Movie was disappointing ... book was better and funnier
First Avon Books printing: July 1998
Apr 27, 2007
joshua wilson
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people like aaron
Shelves:
easyforkiserfirmy
that the first 20mil is hard.
My favorite of Po Bronson's books.
May 20, 2013
Sendhil
added it
May 18, 2013
Tony Ruiz
marked it as to-read
May 08, 2013
Vijay
marked it as to-read
May 02, 2013
Pietro
marked it as to-read
Apr 27, 2013
Lisa Ripley
marked it as to-read
Apr 19, 2013
Harsh
marked it as to-read
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Po Bronson has built a career both as a successful novelist and as a prominent writer of narrative nonfiction. He has published five books, and he has written for television, magazines, and newspapers, including Time, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and for National Public Radio's Morning Edition. Currently he is writing regularly for New York magazine in the United States and for...more
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