Betas (2013) s01e08 Episode Script

1 (sighs) I don't see how this is fun or relaxing.
You'll love it.
I promise.
Demo Day is a big deal.
We should be rehearsing our presentation.
We are.
We're clearing our minds.
-Of what? -Come on.
-Come on.
-I'm going.
I'm going.
Here's to the strong at heart, they got another start Some other fools that had it easy Patience and doubting gone No, no, no, no (laughs) -I hate you.
-(laughs) We could worry, but I was born to run free Come on, buddy.
Home stretch.
You're buying breakfast.
Come on.
Hey, hey! I'm a broken man, I'm damaged goods Lock me in the basement with furnace soot (sighs) Gotta love the rush of Demo Day, huh, mate? It wasn't long ago I was sweating the bright lights, pitching StileRoom to a sea of suits, myself.
What are you doing here, Michael? Window-shopping for new acquisitions? Always got to keep my eyes open, yeah? Plus, I'm here to support Avinash.
You know I think the world of him.
As do I.
Hmm.
Does he know that? Yes, he does.
Despite your best efforts to convince him otherwise.
My only agenda is to help Nash find his voice.
Michael Lau: Life Coach.
I like the sound of that.
My door's always open.
I mean that.
How's everyone so freakin' calm? No need to get worked up about this bullshit.
I've been through this circus before.
-(sighs) -What? What the fuck are you wearing? Well, Mikki I needed an ensemble that screams out "take me seriously" and then whispers "I'm DTF.
" I think I nailed it.
This is the most talented class we've ever graduated from Velocity.
Enough with the boilerplate, Georgie.
What's cooking with the Valet-Me deal? I don't comment on rumors.
But I'm sure you'll have no problem making something up.
-Antwonn? -Hey.
What the shit? You'd look hella slammin' in one of our new super skinnies.
Maybe I could get your info, send you a pair? That's awesomely generous of you to offer that.
But I'm gonna pass.
But good luck, tonight, with the whole talking thing.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah, you need to not do that.
Victoria.
Sniffing around for new companies to mismanage? Oh.
Our funds are headed for record returns this year.
But, uh, you know, you're keeping yourself busy with your charity work here.
I thought I made it clear you're not welcome at Velocity.
Oh, George.
Still with the grudge? -No.
-Mm-hmm.
You bitch.
Oh, wow, George.
That is some pathetic shit.
Yeah, I've got business to conduct.
-Oh, yeah.
Don't let me keep you.
-Yeah.
'Cause, you know, who knows how much time you have left! How ya feeling, bud? You ready? I took an extra Xanax before I picked up my dad.
Great.
Hey, I believe in you.
(cheering, dance music plays) Welcome to Velocity's seventh annual Demo Day.
I want ya'll to open them wallets for the next generation of "V"-city ballers.
Our users are excited by Discountess incentives.
It's, uh, "sick" as in cool, which is ironic, 'cause my cofounder Devang actually is sick.
(laughs) Shingles.
The state of electronic dance music is global tragedy.
The EDM scene is ripe for disruption.
Devang made some charts.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Eborg9.
Eborg9 drops the beat science.
The world's first fully mechanized robot music selector.
-This is a joke, right? -It's obviously just a front for whatever particle beam weapon they're developing.
Valet-Me just closed a $50 million partnership deal with Chevrolet! (cheers) I'm gonna make it raaaaaiiin! (cheers) That's pretty baller.
That's a total power move.
What? The power of self-delusion? (sighs) I'm very excited to introduce our next group in my opinion, these kids have created the future of social.
Welcome, please, the co-founders of BRB, Trey Barrett and Avinash Dagavi.
(cheers) -HOBBES: Yeah! -MIKKI: Woo! Thanks, Murch.
That's far too kind.
Up until two days ago, I had a very different speech planned.
But pie charts and growth curves don't really tell the story that we care most about.
So here to help me tell that story is my CTO, my co-founder, and my best friend, Avinash Dagavi.
When Trey and I first met we were at Stanford, freshman year.
Uh, we were roommates, and, um, I was not great at making friends.
It didn't help that he'd installed a room divider and created an org chart for our shower caddy.
But One night, Trey came up to me and asked me for help with his coursework.
I found this strange the class was very easy.
Uh, so I tutored him.
And as we got to know one another, Trey pitched me an idea an app that would help me meet other students.
Now, our first build was pretty crude, but we kept refining it and refining it.
We became obsessed.
In a way, trying to engineer a way to make me meet new friends led to us becoming best friends.
BRB 2.
0.
Turns out, successful social interaction comes down to two basic factors mood and setting.
With BRB 2.
0, I simply choose how I'm feeling and the app tells me where to go.
Now, users remain invisible until I check in at the location.
So we protect our users' privacy, but reward them for face-to-face interaction.
BRB is a radical new approach socially active and it's designed to enable serendipity.
So we can stop staring at screens and start looking at something a lot more interesting.
Each other.
Because you never know where you're gonna meet your best friend.
(cheers) Yeah! (cheers) A really fresh take on social.
I think this is gonna be huge.
Incentivizing face to face is brilliant.
Excited to see where this goes.
I'm just not sure social is where we want to focus right now.
Your user base is not quite where we like our portfolio companies to be.
Hit me back in six months, after your your numbers add a couple commas.
Well, look at the bright side, guys.
At least Robo-DJ's not doing much better.
He spun such a wicked set, too.
Let's go disrupt our livers.
I'm already doing that.
What are the chances, uh, she likes them tall -and Adam's apple-y? -What? Mikki I, uh I wore cologne for her.
I think it's giving me a rash.
Oh, yeah.
Your neck looks weirder than usual.
I have to be somewhere else.
Please don't leave me.
Please don't leave me.
You, uh, you know if she's seeing anyone? Yeah, she's seeing someone.
He's a Taiko drummer.
Got biceps like Big Poppa Pump.
They're ginormous.
What do you want, Ant? Your job.
Was that not clear in the email I sent? (muffled) Or I could fuck you up.
Tell our superiors you sexually assaulted me in the workplace.
'Cause you did.
(laughs) So Okay, this is how this is gonna work.
Hm? You breathe a word of this up the chain, and I will personally guarantee that you're getting bent over desks for the rest of your shitty, little forgotten life at LiveJournal.
In fucking Moscow! I know where LiveJournal is.
(sighs) Jordan, hey.
I, uh, I know you're probably still pissed at me, so I brought you this.
Dirty martini's the closest thing I could find to an actual olive branch.
Let's let's drink.
I'm trying to cut back.
Um, I gotta run.
Sorry.
Ping me later.
-(laughs) -Hi.
Hi, hi.
What What are you two talking about? Uh, I was just telling your dad how impressed I was with your presentation.
I think the new iteration looks fantastic.
Thank you.
Michael, you must get Nash to use your website.
Convince him to invest in long pants.
Oh, I don't know, Mr.
Dagavi.
I'd hate to convince Nash of doing anything he wasn't ready to do.
Long pants are a huge commitment, after all.
(laughs) (laughs) I I think, uh, uh, Trey needs me somewhere.
Right? He's totally into him.
Why do you look so surprised? I guess I just had no idea that Nash leaned in that direction.
Or any direction.
Oh, he leans.
A robot DJ? Sounded like two blenders fucking.
Enjoyed your presentation, though.
I think you guys are on to something with BRB.
Yeah? Well, maybe you could let them know.
Being ignored is the price you pay for seeing the future first.
We both know a shift is coming.
Pretty soon, everyone's gonna realize that what they see online the flattering selfies, the witty tweets it's all bullshit.
So how do I convince them? Don't bother.
Most VC's, they're just trying to see who the other guys back first so they can jump on the wagon.
Victoria Ryzik, Shore Yield Ventures.
We're not like most VC's.
What's up? Check it out, Mitch.
Your dad's here.
-Ha! You wish.
-(laughs) Jokes on jokes.
Hey, listen, I, um I was just wondering I, uh, I came over here -because I -Spit it out, Mitchy.
They're screening "Oldboy" at the Roxie tomorrow night.
It's gonna be tight 'cause like the director and a whole bunch of the cast are gonna be there.
Mm-hmm.
I was asking if you wanted to come with me, if I wasn't making that totally clear.
(laughs) Shit.
You just went there, huh? I not not like a date, date date-ish maybe.
We should celebrate.
At least, I think we should.
-Sure.
-Yeah? Let's go.
-Okay! -Yeah.
Super cool.
-I need a refill.
Do you want? -No.
Nah, I'm good.
Go for it, girl.
Get white girl wasted.
What's up, dude? So(laughs) Michael Lau, right? He seems like a cool guy.
Y-yeah.
You know, if I had to do a dude.
You know, in some end time scenario where dudes boning dudes propagated the species Why are you saying these idiotic things? I'm just trying to say, like, we're all walking down our own roads of life, you know.
Maybe your road is less straight.
You know, maybe it's not so straight.
Maybe it's got some curves in there.
Maybe it's a little bent.
I love you, man.
I'm so glad we get to work together.
Yeah.
See you out there, amigo.
Lisa Rudolph, she told me all about you.
You know Lisa? I used to be Lisa.
Got the fuck out of here so I could start working with some real game changers.
Probably why George hasn't had a hit since.
Well, a $50 million deal with Chevy sounds like a hit to me.
Valet-Me? Please.
It'll never scale.
Plus their CEO, he has Kanye lyrics tattooed on his forearm.
(laughs) Our managing partners are in town until tomorrow night.
Call me.
Just because we didn't have investors falling to their knees to write us checks last night, doesn't mean we need to panic.
The new release is fantastic.
With time, people are going to see its potential.
-We did get one bite.
-Hmm.
Victoria Ryzik from Shore Yield Ventures? They're based in Los Angeles, but I looked into them Victoria has the moral compass of a Nazi as well as the bedside manner of a mamba snake.
No.
Well, she sounded pretty bullish about BRB.
She's a corporate raider in stilettos, okay? Trust me, you do not want to go there.
This is a marathon, boys.
You think Twitter closed a seed round after one night of house music and vodka tonics? The best deals in the Valley take time to develop.
But you had different advice for the homely discount women, -did you not, Mr.
Murchison? -Dad, please.
Mr.
Dagavi, as BRB's other lead investor, I can appreciate your concern about the progress of our company.
But I did not come into possession of a 300-foot yacht by making bad business decisions.
The "Limitless.
" Yes, I've read about her.
I can guarantee you that ogling pictures of her online isn't the same as out in the open water, owning the waves.
I'm asking that you trust my experience, and my word.
Give her a little emo, Mitchy? No, man.
It just looks like you're trying too hard.
Listen, if dinner's going well, just initiate some verbal foreplay "What's your favorite position? Is butt play off the table?" Success comes from advanced scouting.
Can you watch what you're saying, please? This is Mikki you're talking about.
We're just going to the movies.
Ask her during the trailers, then.
Did you jerk off three times like I told you? -No, but I know you did.
-So what? Don't listen to him, hon.
He lives on a couch in a house with boys half his age.
No woman wants him.
Untrue.
One very specific, very evil Spiderwoman -doesn't want me.
-(sighs) Be a gentleman.
Hold the door.
Ask her how she's feeling.
Actually, women respond a lot better to cruel disregard for their feelings.
What? It's fucking science.
Just be yourself.
Yeah, but don't bring up your Air Max Colorways or League of Legends or your You have goodness radiating from every pore, Mitchell.
-(laughs) -Your aura is just transcendent.
-Oh.
-Thanks, Mrs.
Walls.
Miss Walls.
Not a lot of establishments in Fife with this bar's selection of fine bourbon.
Or fine women, eh, son? Ah.
So quite a story you told during your presentation.
I didn't realize you had such difficulties making friends.
Should your mother and I have done something different? No, no.
No.
Youyou were very supportive.
I think I was just born this way.
We always assumed that you kept to yourself because you were smarter than the other boys.
And fatter.
No matter, they were frivolous idiots, with their razor boards and pump-up shoes.
I always knew you were destined for something bigger.
You're a very capable businessman, Avinash.
You should not let yourself be stepped over by men like George Murchison or Trey Barrett.
Thank you.
II won't.
And now that your business is beginning to flourish, I hope you can pursue your personal life, as well.
It is a rare blessing, the pride a father feels watching his son grow into a man.
Thank you.
Oh, no.
I don't think, uh, we're gonna Nonsense.
Nonsense.
How often do we get a chance to share such luxuries together? Yo, Barrett.
You rubbed the lamp and I have appeared.
What's on your mind? You seemed a little out of sorts yesterday.
Is everything cool? Why? What have you heard? Nothing.
I just thought if you needed a shoulder to cry on.
Come on.
I know you didn't come here to share feelings and mascara tips.
So, what's on your mind? Victoria Ryzik.
I know the basics, but I need the dirt.
And you've made a career out of digging.
Why are you so curious about Victoria? She's interested in BRB.
Murch isn't interested in her interest.
I got the feeling they don't exactly meet up for froyo.
Trey Barrett, are you considering going rogue? I need this to be off the record, Jordan.
Please.
(sighs) Fine.
Nobody really knows exactly what happened between Vic and George.
George claims that Victoria stole the streaming platform BarkTV out from underneath him.
Victoria claims that Bark would've died if she hadn't found another investor.
It's all pretty standard stuff, but it always seemed more personal than that to me.
I I want to respect The Murch's input.
But I can't sit on my hands and do nothing.
-Not when we're this close.
-Be careful.
Because George Murchison is not a bridge you want to burn unless you know you have a safe place to land.
Take it from a girl who's made a career out of spectacular flameouts.
By the way, I liked the whole "new and improved" thing that you pulled at Demo Day.
I didn't think the pretty boy geniuses had it in 'em to listen to criticism.
Aw, you think I'm pretty? Could just be the moonlight.
I'll see you around, Barrett.
Sleep movie's burning out Oh, oh Dream of yourself this time Oh, oh Oh, oh, oh If only I could wake up believing I could wake up believing that I'm not so far away If I only I could wake from believing I could wake up believing that I'm not so far gone We made such a frantic fight Oh, oh, oh I'm lost, but my friend, I tried Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh Hey, what's up, Mik? Uh, just wanted to make sure you weren't stuck in some kinda, uh, emergency sitch.
Anyway, the flick's about to start so, um, holla 'atcha boy.
Dream of your selfish life Oh, oh, oh I want to set up a meeting.
Are you sure you want to do this? Oh (sighs) Yeah.
And with the resources you would bring as a minority investor, we could cut the lead times on our road map in half.
And you'd have a seat on our board.
Nash, you know I think this new architecture is just genius stuff.
I think we're on the verge of something big here.
And I know that collaboration isn't exactly your thing, Trey.
So I appreciate you reaching out no, I really do.
But I'm gonna have to pass.
I'm sorry, I don't I thought you told Nash -you'd be interested.
-Look at it from my point of view: If I asked you to invest in a startup with no revenue or customer base, what would you do? As brilliant as I think Avinash's engineering skills are, I'm still not as confident in the other areas of the business.
You set this whole thing up just to watch me beg.
Oh, don't be ridiculous, mate.
You asked me.
But my offer to include an ad for BRB in our next e-mail blast still stands, huh? How is an ad supposed to help? A 50K user bump is a drop in the bucket compared to what we need.
Every little bit helps.
Um, we'll take it, Michael.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
You're welcome.
A boost to our user base will only make us more appealing to investors.
Yeah.
Maybe with the bump, we'll be able to call them back in three months instead of six assuming we still have a company.
I know going to Michael was difficult for you.
But I think Mr.
Murchison is right.
You know, we just have to be patient.
Yeah.
I mean, he got us this far, right? All for one, pal.
Watch all episodes of Alpha House, - starring John Goodman.
- Oh, that'd be great.
Exclusively on Amazon Prime Instant Video.
Amazing.