Today’s Killer Startup: Silicon Valley Dictionary
Elevator Pitch:
Silicon Valley Dictionary is Urban Dictionary for the startup world.
Why It’s A Killer Startup:
Confession: When I started writing about startups, I knew next to nothing about startups. I originally got this job because I called my little brother, a startup founder, and asked him to teach me all of the buzzwords before my interview. I dropped them like they were hot (which, at the time, they were) and managed to BS my way into this awesome job.
But that was years ago. These days, my startup vocab is peppered with words like “vanity metrics,” “heads down,” “bootstrapping.” I talk about Slack like it’s a real place, not just where I waste time with my coworkers, I mean stay in productive contact with my remote team. Oh yeah, I say “remote team” and “digital nomad” a lot too.
However, even with all my knowledge of startup lingo – including the fact that I almost categorically refuse to use the word “disrupt” anymore, unless we’re talking about the TechCrunch conference – there are still words in Silicon Valley Dictionary that I didn’t recognize. I’m not going to tell you which ones they are, ‘cause that’s embarrassing, but let’s just say I’ll be adding a bit more jargon to future posts…
Also awesome is the fact that the dictionary has managed to combine real life terminology with phrases from Silicon Valley, the show. One of the great things about that show – and Silicon Valley Dictionary – is how seamlessly it blends the absurdity of real-life Silicon Valley with absurdist humor. This definitely comes through with the lingo. Three comma club? Hooli? Erlich Bachman? I’m all about it.
So whether you’re a newbie to the scene or you’re just looking to sound like more of a d bag than you already do (it’s cool – I’m right there with you), hit up Silicon Valley Dictionary for the latest and greatest startup slang.
Tweetable:
Bwhahhahah LOVING this #startup lingo from @sv_dictionary
Photo Credits
Silicon Valley Dictionary | Mila Supinskaya/Shutterstock
