The Startup Wife

"It took me a bit to get into, but I ended up really liking this! Asha is a great character, and I liked the peeks into the start-up world. "

"Listened to the audiobook. Rooted for Asha. Fudge the patriarchy. "

"Heavy topics are covered in this book. I read to escape those heavy topics so not my kind of book. "

"This was more chick lit than I expected. I wanted to know more about how WAI affected the world, examples of people using WAI, etc. But in the end, that would have made this a very different book. (One I would have rather read). If you go into this thinking it is chick lit, it's actually a pretty good book."

"Excellent satire for anyone in tech. It was funny, poignant and biting. I can already see this a Hulu Original movie and was so so into this book."

"Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.<br/><br/>The Startup Wife explores startup culture and being a woman in tech through the eyes of Asha Ray, who alongside her husband Cyrus and their friend Jules comes up with an idea for a new social media platform that uses sophisticated algorithms to create religious experiences for people. It takes off rapidly, leading to moral complications as it escalates.<br/><br/>The Startup Wife encapsulates startup culture to an uncomfortably accurate degree. From coworking spaces that feel both whimsical and cult-like, to the kinds of people you meet living the #startuplife – the kind who have brilliant and innovative ideas on the surface but the second you get to know them a little bit more you realize that they are just terrible people.<br/><br/>Case in point, Cyrus Jones. I have never met a fictional character I wanted to punch in the genitals until now. The inspiration behind the platform for his wildly creative ideas for creating “religious experiences without religion,” Cyrus reads like a Manic Pixie Dream Boy at times, and at others he reads like an absolute manbaby who steamrolls Asha as his wife and co-founder whenever she deigns to disagree with him.<br/><br/>In conclusion, the book is very well-written and a realistic portrayal of what the world would do with technology that would allow them fantastical religious experiences and community-building. It feels grounded and satisfying in the end, but if you have complicated feelings about startup culture and the people who partake, you might need to prepare for some discomfort. Maybe bring some emotional support. <br/>"

"Current, funny, and engaging read. It is somewhat dystopian but grounded in our reality. And so wonderful to hear stories told from a South Asian woman. "