24 January 2018
Who’s the boss? Silicon Valley, S4, now streaming
When mild-mannered Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) started his tech company Pied Piper, he had no idea of the cutthroat world he was walking into in must-see comedy Silicon Valley (2014-current; all 4 seasons are only available on Showmax). Watch now »
Richard thought that his compression app (and later company Pied Piper) could revolutionise data storage and transfer, but instead, in Season 4, it becomes a video-chat app – and a hassle and pain in the butt for him.
Image: HBO
And it’s cost him a fortune too (millions and millions and millions of dollars), because, while Richard and his friends are geniuses at coding, when it comes to business acumen, they’re sorely lacking. “They are well-intending with helping Richard, but they’re chasing money, they’re chasing fame – and they’re messing up along the way,” says Thomas.
So far, the ownership of Pied Piper software has swapped hands more times than we can count and there have been more CEOs running the company than anyone remembers, mostly thanks to the fine print being ignored in contracts.
“Pied Piper is Richard’s greatest achievement but it’s also his worst nightmare.” – Thomas Middleditch, who plays Richard.
“The silliest little thing pops up when they least expect it and that sees Richard further away from his dreams,” explains Thomas. “This Pied Piper is his greatest achievement but it’s also his worst nightmare. It’s simple but it’s complicated. He just wants it to work and he doesn’t care (mostly) who’s in charge!”
But as it turns out, luckless and reluctant Richard might just be the best CEO option. Here’s a peek at past Pied Piper leaders and those who just don’t make the grade in Silicon Valley…
The out-of-touch CEO – Erlich Bachman (TJ Miller)
Image: HBO
The crazy incubator boss knows all about running a business – he constantly reminds everyone about the success of his “million-dollar baby” Aviato. But despite knowing more about companies and laws than the rest of the team and being well-intending, Erlich is a loose cannon. He’d rather splash millions on a tropical-themed party than invest in much-needed equipment (as in Season 3, episode 6). He’s also clever enough to hide “minor issues” from the others until it’s too late for them to do anything… and by then it’s grown into a major problem.
The clueless CEO – Nelson “Big Head” Bighetti (Josh Brener)
Image: HBO
This poor soul is a patsy. He takes the blame whenever things go wrong, like losing a prototype smartphone with secret software (season 2 episode 9). He’s clueless at the best of times and when he’s used as a scapegoat, things take a dramatic turn for the better and he looks like a hero when the dust settles. Thing is, he’s still clueless and running a company is the last thing he knows about.
The user-and-abuser CEO – Dinesh Chugtai (Kumail Nanjiani)
Image: HBO
He might know a thing or two about programming, but he’s out of control as CEO (Season 4, episode 1). Not only does he block half the team from accessing the Pied Piper coding, he makes a slight miscalculation that earns Pied Piper over $25 million in fines… and all because he’s trying to impress the ladies. Does he even succeed? Not a chance – Dinesh is left with egg on his face, girls still laughing in his face and he’s no longer fit to be CEO.
The DGAF CEO – Bertram Gilfoyle (Martin Starr)
Image: HBO
Gilfoyle doesn’t want to be the boss. He’s told everyone and he’ll tell them again until it sinks in: he isn’t interested. That excludes him from the word go… and probably for the best. He just wants to see the world burn and if Pied Piper goes down too, it’s an acceptable “casualty of war”. He does try to make the best of things though, as long as he’s not in charge.
The greedy tech giant CEO – Gavin Belson (Matt Ross)
Image: HBO
Like most real-life Silicon Valley bosses, Gavin is a mega-wealthy and mega-mean guy. He wants what he wants, when he wants it, how he wants it. Any failure sees him firing people left, right and centre. He’s had big plans for Pied Piper ever since season 1 because he thinks big and wants to use it to make himself even more money, but every time Gavin thinks he’s getting ahead, he’s forced to take two steps back – and lose the company he stole control of. Luckily there’s someone he can blame for that and fire.
The true-born CEO – Richard
Image: HBO
Yes, he admits to not wanting to run the company because it’s a headache and everyone else wants it to use it for their own gains, but secretly Richard is the right man for the job. He may not know all that much about business, but he has a good heart and just wants things to work. And that’s also why he isn’t current CEO – he has a good heart. Shame, the poor geek!
Sources: Deadline.com, Youtube.com
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