Silicon Valley Review Overview

In Silicon Valley Review, we review each episode of HBO’s Silicon Valley and discuss how it applies to real startups.

You can listen on Apple Podcasts or click the links below to see the show notes for each episode.

Season 5

Silicon Valley Review S5, Ep8: Hockey Stick Growth, Board Control & Fiduciary Growth

In this episode, we review S5, Ep8: Fifty-One Percent and discuss hockey stick growth, giving up board control, and fiduciary duty.

Silicon Valley Review S5, Ep7: VCs vs. ICOs & Enforcing Contracts

In this episode, we review S5, Ep7: Initial Coin Offering and discuss ICOs, valuation milestones, harvesting user data, giving up board control, and enforcing contracts.

Silicon Valley Review S5, Ep6: Cease & Desist Letters, Utility Tokens & Series B Term Sheets

In this episode, we review S5, Ep6: Artificial Emotional Intelligence and discuss cease and desist letters, transferring utility tokens, Series B term sheets, and China’s work culture.

Silicon Valley Review S5, Ep5: AI Romances, Glass Walls & #MeToo

In this episode, we review S5, Ep5: Facial Recognition and discuss how much funds typically invest in each company, what constitutes a competitor, and how the show chose to address the #MeToo movement.

Silicon Valley Review S5, Ep4: Reddit, Dwight’s Brother & Sticky Bear

In this episode, we review S5, Ep4: Tech Evangelist and discuss giving clear instructions, a benefit of being a small company, and transferring assets in a partnership.

Silicon Valley Review S5, Ep3: Levels of Decision-Making & Employee Retention

In this episode, we review S5, Ep3: Chief Operating Officer and discuss who makes day-to-day decisions v. strategic decisions v. fundamental decisions, enforcing non-competes, the three things to include in contractual agreements with your employees, and how to attract and retain great employees.

Silicon Valley Review S5, Ep2: Tesla, Dead Pigs & Ira Glass

In this episode, we review S5, Ep2: Reorientation and discuss where the Silicon Valley writers get their inspiration, the importance of growing as a leader, and how long founders usually remain the CEO.

Silicon Valley Review S5, Ep1: Acquihires, Leadership & Terminating Employees

In this episode, we review S5, Ep1: Grow Fast or Die Slowly and discuss the point of acquihires, efficient use of office space, the difference between leadership and decision making, and terminating employees without cause.

Season 4

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep10: Employee Handbooks & Terminating Employees

In this episode, we review Season 4, Episode 10: Server Error and discuss legal and practical reasons for maintaining an employee handbook, distinguishing between policy and discrimination when terminating an employee, best practices for transitioning employees out, and more.

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep9: A CEO’s Self-Destruction

In this episode, we review Season 4, Episode 9: Hooli-Con and discuss Richard’s negative patterns of behavior as the CEO of Pied Piper as well as the viability of Keenan Feldspar’s company’s acquisition price.

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep8: Key Man Insurance v. Key Holder Clauses

In this episode, we review Season 4, Episode 8: The Keenan Vortex and discuss the difference between key man insurance and key holder clauses, using another company’s IP, and the likelihood of a venture deal blowing up.

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep7: Did Bream Hall & Erlich Violate SEC Securities Regulation Laws?

In this episode, we review Season 4, Episode 7: The Patent Troll and discuss the legality of Bream Hall paying Erlich a finder’s fee, the differences between finders and broker-dealers, the pros and cons of hiring an attorney to negotiate a demand letter, and the three acts that govern investment activity.

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep6: Beta Testing Best Practices & Incubators v. Accelerators

In this episode, we review Season 4, Episode 6: Customer Service and discuss beta testing best practices and the differences between incubators and accelerators.

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep5: Rollouts, Cash Burn & NDAs

In this episode, Kevin and Aaron review Season 4, Episode 5: The Blood Boy and discuss typical rollouts in Dallas v. Silicon Valley, the importance of low cash burn, how NDAs shouldn’t be the only consideration, and transferring patents.

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep4: Assigning IP, Vesting Schedules & Spending Investor Money

In this episode, Kevin and Aaron review Season 4, Episode 4: Team Building Exercise and discuss assigning intellectual property to the company, contribution agreements v. license agreements, getting sued, typical vesting schedules, and spending controls for investors’ money.

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep3: Types of Investors, Seed Funding & Collaborative VCs

In this episode, Kevin (Aaron is away attending a wedding in South Korea…supposedly) reviews Season 4, Episode 3: Intellectual Property and discusses the types of investors you will encounter in each stage of raising capital, how realistic a VC’s $200,000 seed investment really is, and the collaborative nature of VCs in Dallas.

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep2: Cocky CEOs, Ex Co-Founders & Terms of Service

In this episode, we review Season 4, Episode 2: Terms of Service and discuss how CEOs should handle the spotlight, navigating relationships with ex co-founders, and terms of service and policy agreements.

Silicon Valley Review S4, Ep1: Recapitalization, Founder’s Syndrome & The Unruly Board Member

In this episode, we review Season 4, Episode 1: Success Failure and discuss when you can change company ownership, the importance of product v. growth, board composition, and more