Notes

1. The Founder

  1.     API stands for “application programming interface.” It is an agreement that governs how programs talk to one another over the internet. In this case, access to the company’s private API would mean the ability to obtain and use some of its data.

  2.     The mention of TPS reports is a reference to the movie Office Space (1999), where they represent pointless, and mandatory, paperwork.

  3.     Swift is a programming language developed by Apple for its operating systems, including iOS.

  4.     Yo is a mobile app initially released in 2014. At first, the app’s only feature was the ability to send the word “Yo” to your friends. Within a few months of launching, Yo boasted a valuation of five to ten million dollars.

  5.     Google had a contract with the Pentagon to help with Project Maven, an ongoing Pentagon initiative to use machine learning to analyze drone footage. After a monthslong campaign by workers at Google, management announced in June 2018 that it would not be renewing the Project Maven contract.