Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

by John Carreyrou

Besides, the venture capitalists startups courted for funding knew that startup founders overstated these forecasts. It was part of the game. VCs even had a term for it: the hockey-stick forecast. It showed revenue stagnating for a few years and then magically shooting up in a straight line.

evangelizing was what successful startup founders did in Silicon Valley. You didn’t change the world by being cynical.