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1. Read it really fast and still processing it. A great effect.
   That sub-title got me, and thankfully it wasn’t click bait. I’m a Senior SWE, and I’d heard inklings of stories like that, but I didn’t know how rife it was. Emmanuel does a great job of using stories and research to express undeniable observations. An added benefit was he explained the VC world (which I knew barely anything about) with such accessible clarity that I gained a lot of context, too.With this topic, Emmanuel could’ve written a much more ragey, intense, over-complicated book. Instead, he wrote something balanced, opinionated, accessible, nuanced, and an easy read. Highly recommend.

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2. Essential reading for everyone working in tech
   I couldn’t put this book down ’til I was done. On top of the content being outstanding, It’s very entertaining and well written too.A lot of people go through their careers never truly understanding the incentive structures and motivations of those around them. As such, they can’t understand why companies act in seemingly irrational ways – with behavior that alternates between fueling exuberant bubbles and excessive austerity.That’s because they don’t understand the game that the founders of the company are playing.With this book, Dr. Maggiori very clearly articulates the rules of the game that VCs play. This in turn sheds light on how the startup scene *actually* works. Because VCs and startup thinking is so powerful and memetic, many of the incentive structures and mental models that Dr. Maggiori describes in this book permeate into the world of tech at large.By understanding what’s written in this book, you can take the power back. Rather than being helpless, you can create a game for yourself that is compatible with theirs, but which benefits you. You can navigate your career clearly understanding the incentive structures that lie beneath the surface of the decision making processes of executives and founders.And what’s more, you’ll even get good foundational knowledge on how to recognize actually viable businesses.Again, an absolute must-read for everyone in tech.

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3. An Honest Appraisal of the Tech Sector
   Don’t let the title deceive you. Emmanuel Maggiori provides some objective and level-headed research showing the sometimes misaligned incentives of venture capital and the tech sector, and practical ways to fix it. With factors ranging from monetary policy to management culture, the tech sector has a way of often misdirecting capital to the wrong problems.But Maggiori shares some good news. There are business problems in 2024 that are worth millions of dollars for those that solve them, and while these returns may not be palatable to tech investors expecting billion-dollar unicorns, they are worth the work. This vacuum leaves opportunities for those that are willing to bootstrap their way into solving them, and I challenge every techie to see the boring but critical problems that the tech sector may overlook.

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4. From the standpoint of a developer, certain organisational processes and industry trends can seem completely illogical and counterintuitive. For everyone who ever felt frustrated, this book is an excellent explanation of why the things are the way they are. The book is definitely not a rant and it’s actually very informative regarding the economics of the software industry.

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