01x06 - Bootstrapped

Episode transcripts for the TV show "StartUp". Aired: September 2016 to November 2018.*
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"StartUp" follows an unlikely group of collaborators in Miami who band together to develop a digital currency, except this particular founding story is riddled with crime: from the fraudulently obtained funds that comprise GenCorp’s seed money to the crooked FBI agent trying to get his own money back.
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01x06 - Bootstrapped

Post by bunniefuu »

One job. You get your sh*t back, I don't chase you anymore. How's that?

We need to move on without you, dude, 'cause we landed Benedict Blush for 1.5.

Yes.

This is good. We back in business.

There's no "we."

I reject your offer.

I won't say anything.

Maddie.

Please. Phil, don't go!

Not 2.2 here.

Only 1.8.

Someone's hacking my sh*t! They're taking all our money!

You said this couldn't happen! Who's doing it?

That 300.

Yeah?

Where's it at? Is it at your place? I'mma need that.

I'll give you three days.

Well, I think we're done here. You can go.

She have to die. You know she have to die.

Phil Rask!

No!

I tried everything.

Traced every packet.

It all leads to this one signature... "Daewon."

What does that mean?

"Daewon"?

Who?

He's a black hat, Nick.

He's the most wanted hacker in the world.

He r*ped us and took all our money.

Why us? I don't even understand.

I mean, we're not a known entity.

It's not like we're holding billions.

Someone had to know.

Someone who'd been following the money.

You said it was safe.

That's not what I said.

Yes, you did. Yes, you did.

You said it would be in decentralized shell corps, very safe.

Not from Daewon.

It's not safe from him! Nothing is safe from him!

Goddammit, man! I trusted you!

Ronald and I both, we really, really trusted you.

I got b*at! Damn!

This isn't a game.

1.5 million. An investor gave this to us.

Not to mention Ronald's cut, which...

Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t!

We'll get it back.

I...

I'm gonna figure it out and I'm gonna get it back.

Okay. You better.

I better?

I am on the hook for this money, okay?

You're threatening me?

I am not threatening you. I am being threatened.

Get... get out.

What? What?

Get out.

What's your problem?

Get out. Get out.

I'm not threatening you!

Get out.

I'm being threatened!

I don't care.

Hey, I'm so sorry.

I should have called.

Hey. Where are you?

I was, uh, working.

I was... we were working on a presentation and my phone was... it d*ed.

Sorry.

Okay, well, are you coming home?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm coming home very soon.

I'm really sorry.

Well, your friend is here to see you.

He says his name is Ronald.

Oh. He's... there.

Uh... Um...

Yeah.

Okay.

All right, I'll be home... I'll be home right now.

Okay.

Okay.

He said he's just gonna be a couple of minutes.

Izzy?

We'd like to talk to you.

Chica?

Aye, mija.

Izzy.

Por favor, talk to us, please.

Isabelle.

How much do you owe?

A lot.

To whom? Who are these people?

Should we call Miguel?

No. No.

Marta.

No.

We're never borrowing money from them again.

I don't mean for money.

Oh, my god.

Is this what it's like?

Is it?

No. No, no, no. Not really.

Oh, my god, oh, my god, Isabelle!

Mija, I told you, okay?

This is not a game. These are real consequences.

Mom, I know! Chill!

I know. I... I know, though.

I just gotta talk to them.

I... I... it's gonna be fine.

It's gonna be fine.

I gotta find a way to make quick cash, I will pay it off eventually, and we'll square off.

Izzy, what about your friends from Stanford?

Can... can't they get you a job?

Listen, we'll take a second mortgage.

We'll help you out.

Izzy, what are you doing? We're talking to you.

Izzy...

I'm pinging Maya.

She runs RadCoin.

Uh...

My friend from Stanford.

It's a good idea.

What's up, South Beach?

You just getting home? For real?

You had your woman worried, bruh.

If I go dark on my woman that long, she'd whoop my damn ass.

Yeah, Taylor and I, we just been... oh, sh*t, sorry, it's Taylor, right?

Yeah.

Yeah, Taylor and I, we were just speaking about you.

Your ears must have been burning and sh*t.

Hey, baby, would you mind going inside for just a minute?

Hey, no, no, no, no, she gonna stay here.

What are you doing?

I'm here to talk business.

Well, then I would like my girlfriend to go inside for the time being.

Hey, that's your girl, dawg.

Hey, hey, hey!

This is a private conversation.

And she supposed to be with you.

By your side. Thick and thin.

God damn!

Didn't even tell her you quit your job.

Now sit down.

Why are you here?

I've been thinking it over.

I will take that buyout after all.

And I understand everything with the banks and cash and all that, but as soon as you can get that to me...

Ronald.

Aw, man, we have a small problem.

Word?

Yeah.

Well, it's actually... It's actually a...

It's a huge problem.

Uh... we just got hacked and someone... this a hacker guy...

I mean, he took all of it.

"All of it." That's what's up?

Uh-huh.

GenCoin. My money.

That Blush dude money. All of that money?

That money you was gonna give me yesterday when you and homegirl fired me...

Well, we didn't fire you, but yeah.

Yes, you did, Nick.

You fired my Haitian ass.

No, no.

You tried to.

We offered you a buyout. We didn't fire you.

We didn't even hire you.

You listen to me right now.

You and that mouthy-ass bitch told me my money was gonna be safer than it's ever been.

Now what?

Now what?

No, wait! Taylor, no cops! No cops!

No, you don't want to do that, girl.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

You get me my money.

Just 'cause I like you don't mean I won't put you down.

Thanks for the snacks. You a good girl.

Don't let this n*gga forget that.

It's okay.

I'm sorry.

Nick.

I'm sorry.

Stop it.

It's okay. I'm...

Just don't touch me.

I'm sorry.

Oh, gosh.

So you remember Donnie, right?

What?

Yes. The old spark was still there.

Donnie? That's...

Yeah. I never thought I'd be married this young.

Or at all.

Hm. Well...

It's crazy how fast life comes at you, right?

Well, how about you?

Not. Mm-mm.

No?

No, not for me.

That's okay. That's good. Priorities.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm really glad you called, Izzy.

I've missed you, you know?

You up and bailed on Stanford.

It... it wasn't my jam, I guess.

I know. I get it.

Yeah. Are you hungry?

I'm starving. Want to get some food?

No, I'm good, but... oh, go ahead.

Excuse me.

Yeah?

Hi.

What can I get for you?

Can I get an order of the hummus, please?

Sure, sure.

Coming right up.

Thanks.

So what have you been up to?

What ever happened to the cryptocurrency you were writing?

It, uh... it's still a pet project.

Yeah?

Yeah.

How's, uh...

RadCoin.

Yeah, it's going good.

It's been a ride.

You hear we're launching.

Yeah, I saw the animated GIF thing you guys are advertising with.

It's super pro, right?

Mm-hmm.

We launch in 33 days.

Oh, I didn't even tell you this.

We have a meeting with Alex Bell on Tuesday.

Yeah. He's thinking about investing, gonna come check out our digs.

It's crazy weird, right?

Have Alex Bell at your conference table?

Come on, Izzy.

You need to jump on this train.

That's, um... That's... that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.

Good.

Wait, are you serious?

Yeah. Well, I mean...

I'd kind of need an advance on my salary.

I have all these loans that I need to pay off ASAP.

Okay.

Huh?

Well, let's talk about it.

Okay. Well, what, um, what do partners take home?

Um, so... you know, uh, "partner" might be kinda, uh, tricky.

But listen, you would be taken care of.

We... pay our engineers very well.

Hey, dude. It's Nick Talman.

Um, I'm good. I'm good.

Thank you. Uh, I'm really good. How are things in California?

Wonderful investment opportunity, but, um, you would have to move very quick on it. That's the thing.

No, I know.

I... I will. I... no, okay, wh... okay, let me just say...

JP, it's Nick Talman.

Excellent. I'm so happy to... let me tell you.

So, I have an amazing...

I know, this sounds ridiculous, but...

But... but you don't know that.

Dude, are you still in Nashville?

For me, I just feel like you have to meet this girl.

So, you're in Japan right now?

You'll thank me if you vet the code.

Thank... I... look, I appreciate you taking the time, and...

You know what? Actually, I'm gonna call you back.

No, I got m...

Okay, I gotta go. Call you right back.
Hey, Leo.

Nick.

We should talk.

I didn't know what else to do.

I told you I was dealing with it.

Uh-huh. You're in way over your head, son.

Wanna mix us a couple of drinks?

Okay.

I haven't said anything to Benny.

I appreciate it.

But I'm gonna have to.

Soon.

Otherwise, I can be implicated.

Really?

Nick.

Listen very carefully to what I'm about to say, 'cause I don't think that you have fully grasped this yet.

Are you listening?

Yeah.

You committed multiple felonies.

We got hacked. I mean...

But you didn't report it.

And I know why, too.

I know this isn't who you are.

You're a good kid. You're smart, you're caring, put people first.

And whether you believe this or not, I've always liked you.

Breaks my heart that this is happening now.

Maybe she'll forgive you.

My guess is she probably will 'cause she understands you.

She wants you to be happy 'cause she loves you.

And when you love somebody, that's all that matters.

Not all this.

So, here's what's gonna happen next.

I'm gonna pretend that Taylor never came to me, I'm gonna pretend we never had this conversation, you and me, and when I see Benny tomorrow night for poker, I'm gonna act like everything is sunshine and puppy dogs.

But soon, very soon, he's gonna start wondering what's happening with the million and a half that he gave ya.

And at that point... there's nothing I can do to protect you.

Dada?

Hm?

Guess what?

Touie wanted me to tell you something.

Guess what it is?

What do you want?

Let's go for a ride.

Hm?

I'll be gone before you get home.

Okay. Good.

Hey.

Yeah. Sure.

Okay. That's fine.

See you there.

I don't have it yet.

I know, South Beach.

That ain't why we're here.

Oh, yeah?

We're here to start a business.

I thought we already tried that.

We tried it the Nick way, we tried it the Izzy way.

Now we're about to try it the Ronald way.

How much money you got?

How much money do I... uh... do you mean on me?

Total. All in.

What you worth?

Man, nothing. I'm in debt.

I've been paying off a student loan for 10 years.

sh*t!

I know.

I've been in your spot. How you pay your rent?

He doesn't. His girl does.

Hey, you know...

Damn, South Beach.

Okay.

Okay, okay. How much you got?

Nothing. I'm broke.

Damn.

You ain't got nothing stashed nowhere?

Not even just a little bit?

I do have a rainy day fund. I got a small bank account.

How much in there?

Uh...

I would have to check, but I have like $17,000.

17?

Yeah.

All right, I got three G's stashed in the closet. 17 plus three, that's 20.

We got 20 large liquid.

All right, that's gonna be enough.

What are you saying?

I'm saying... we've been going about this all wrong.

We were trying to lock down the big busts before we even got the swagger right.

You dig?

Swa... Okay, I guess. "The swagger"?

Y'all want to start something?

Yeah.

We need to stop looking at this sh*t like it's some West Coast, incubated, garage-type bullshit.

This here Miami, y'all.

A n*gga can have the most revolutionary idea since the Internet, and ain't nobody gonna take you seriously unless you got the swagger.

Okay.

We take our 20 g's, we find us a cheap space in Wynwood, act like we going all f*cking hipster or some sh*t, hire up a bunch of interns, some smart, some just to sit there looking fine, act like we've been at it for a minute, you feel me?

Act like we already been out there raising funds and sh*t's going real good, you dig?

Make 'em think when they walk through that door, they about to be a part of something new, something cuttin' edge, something folks is begging to invest in.

Izzy, you got the code.

Nick, you know about money. I know about selling.

Three o' us... we can own this damn city, y'all.

But if we want folks to start taking us seriously, we need to act like we already do.

Stupid kids... never gave me notice.

Never heard from 'em.

What was their company?

Eh, who the hell knows?

Some dumb, little video game thing like an app? I don't know.

What do you guys do?

Not thinking about maybe buying the place, are you?

Uh, no, no.

We were thinking of something much more short-term.

We're thinking about a month.

Just a month?

Yeah, but, you know, if things go well, we could maybe... we could maybe work something out.

One month, 10,000 flat.

We were thinking more like four.

Larry.

Come on, this is free money.

You're not renting this place out for the month.

All right. Six.

It's gotta be four.

Five.

My man here says four.

All right.

Larry!

Thank you, sir.

All right, y'all.

Let's turn this bitch out.

So why GenCoin?

Cryptocurrency is the next thing, right?

Meaning?

If I can go back in time and try to own a piece of Internet, you know?

So, you're doing it for the money?

Aren't you?

No.

How computer savvy are you?

Oh, I'm pretty savvy.

Really?

Pretty savvy, yeah.

Fantastic.

Yeah.

Uh, what are... do you have any coding skills?

"Code"? What?

Coding.

"Coding."

Do you code at all?

Your folks rich?

Sorry?

You come from money? Do they got money?

I...

What's your daddy do?

He's a neurosurgeon.

Give me money.

I thought this was an interview.

It's, um, um...

Is it kinda like PayPal?

Um, yes, yes.

Oh boy! I love PayPal!

I've been coding since I was eight.

Built my own rigs and developed my own software.

Because you can.

Right. Because I can.

Can you start tomorrow?

Yes, ma'am.

Don't call me that.

Come on, bit-boy, pump it!

That's that feel I like.

It's good. I think it's good.

GenCoin. That's what's up.

A few nibbles, but nothing concrete.

No word from Blush yet?

No.

Sooner or later, he's gonna call, asking where his money is.

Tell him.

Say what?

We lost all his money?

No.

This is the point.

We show him his money doing good.

This office.

The youngbloods we got working for us.

If he thinks we're legit, all good.

And then... we ask him to double down.

No.

That's...

That's a brilliant idea.

That's actually a Ponzi scheme.

That's how they do, bro.

Well, that, it might be how it is, how Bernie Madoff does, but we're not gonna do that.

That's a brilliant idea.

Look, I know you lookin' to pussyfoot around Blush, but it could take weeks to set up more investments.

And here's what's up.

I got a g*n to my head, y'all.

The dogs are circling my house, where my kids at.

And pretty soon, that hammer gonna drop.

And when it do... if they don't get their 300 from me... they comin' for you.

And you.

Oh, man.

You know, what you're proposing is highly, highly illegal.

Nick, you done lost a million and a half, and you didn't tell your investor.

You didn't tell your investor 'cause you started this thing with stolen drug money.

And now... you worried about illegal?

Hi, you've reached Benedict Blush.

Leave me a message, and I'll get back to you.

f*ck.

Have a good day, baby girl.

Bye, Dad.

Hey, Ronnie. What dey do?

Where you headed?

You need something, bro?

I just comin' through to see what's good with Touie.

Touie at school, bruh.

Fo' sho. Fo' sho.

Fo' sho.

Looks legit, huh?

"Some just to sit there lookin' fine," huh?

Hi.

Hi.

I'm Ben Blush, and I have a 9:00 appointment.

Yes.

Where's Nick?

That's...

Damn.

Ain't this some sh*t.

I can't do this. I'm sorry.

I'm not gonna do this.

It's too late, bruh.

He's sitting at the front right now staring at that sex doll you hired.

A'ight?

What we're doing is fraud.

Nick, my n*gga, you in this now.

You been in this.

It can't get no worse.

Is that supposed to make me feel better?

Yeah.

It is.

All right, now stand up, man, and be a man.

I need to brush my teeth.

This is a selfie.

Yeah.

And I...

Benny!

Good to see you, pal.

Hey, Nick. Good to see you.

Benedict.

Muah!

How are you?

Yeah.

Hey, cool space you picked out here.

You know, very, uh, hipster.

Mm-hmm.

That's exactly what it is.

That's exactly what we're going for.

You got that, uh, sort of, uh...

"try to look like I don't care" feel.

That's what's cool in the valley.

And, uh, oh, some pretty faces, too.

Oh, yeah.

I think I know who picked out that one, yeah?

I have no...

Believe it or not, Izzy.

Oh, yeah?

She fought for her.

Yeah, whatever.

Yeah?

Yeah.

So.

So...

What did you want to discuss?

Um, what we've been doing is inviting some of our big investors to come on down and take a tour of the offices and, uh, going over monthly projections.

You wanted to see if I would double down.

Same thing happens with every startup I've invested in.

They'll have me come in and hope that I'll fall for their dog and pony, and then in the end, I'll either be excited enough or dumb enough to re-up.

Right.

I think it's admirable, your generation.

You know, some people call it "entitlement."

I like to think of it as... tenacity.

You know what, Benny?

We ain't gonna bullshit you no more.

That is 100% why Nick called you in here today.

Mm.

And we did have a whole dog and whatever lined up.

You know, Izzy was gonna ride in on a white tiger, but the Animal Rights Association wanted a whole ton of cash to look the other way, so we scratched that idea like, you know...

Wait, wait, wait, that doesn't mean that the fireworks show and the dancing girls is off, does it?

No, no, for sure that's on.

You can't return that. There are no refunds.

No refund policy.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Hey, but on the real, though, we just trying to blow this whole thing out quick.

You know, we want to stay ahead of the competition.

Absolutely. As you are well aware, RadCoin launches in a month.

Mm-hmm. Sure.

And isn't it you that said, "Doesn't matter who's best, only matters who's first"?

Yes, it was me who said that.

Yeah. Also, um... we've got our whole marketing PR strategy ready to go, ready to implement.

We just need to make our second milestone to pay for it.

So... who else is on board?

Um... Investors.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

I mean, when you guys came to me, you had nothing.

And now, huh, so quickly.

I mean, you must have roped in a couple of heavy hitters here, huh?

Mm-hmm.

Who are they?

Uh...

You... You know that it's not prudent at this juncture to reveal the names of the other investors.

We try to keep that...

Correct.

Correct. We're keeping it very private.

I think I have a right to know.

I mean, especially since you're asking me to re-up.

Yeah. I mean, we have a broad overview, but we don't share investor info here.

We can show you our liquidity, our budget, our projections...

Yeah, yeah.

I set it all up for you.

I... look, I mean, as far as I know, you could be bringing me in here because I am literally the only investor you have right now.

And it wouldn't be a sound decision to re-up if that were the case, now would it?

No.

No, it wouldn't.

You know what, Blush?

I'mma get you some names.

I'mma call up some of the other investors, make sure it's cool that we disclose their names to you.

I'm also gonna need some proof of funds from your bank.

Mm-hmm. Sure. Why... why is that?

Well, I want to make sure that my money isn't getting lonely, you know?

Fair enough, fair enough. We can do that.

Maybe give us, uh...

We'll probably get that for ya end of the week?

No, I'd like it right now.

I don't know if we have it that handy.

Uh, Izzy, can we do that?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The business manager has it, but she... she's not here today.

Ah. Well...

I'm sure my lawyers can sort all this out.

Yeah.

I think I'm gonna have him drop by.

Do it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Just have him... have him stop by whenever you want, and we'll everything ready for you, bruh.

We'll get it prepared.

Hey, Ben, great... Great to see ya.

Hey, Megan, show Blush out.

Okay, all three of us, we're going to prison for a very long time.

Shut up.

We're not going to prison.

We're definitely going to prison. He knows.

He doesn't "know" know. He...

He most definitely knows.

And when he comes with his lawyers, that's game over.

He wanted to see proof of funds!

Okay, we just have her fake up some documents.

Oh, my god! Stop! That's making it worse.

You got a better idea, Nick?

No, I don't.

We gotta get him that money.

Jesus.

What day is it today?

What?

I... it's Tuesday.

sh*t!

I have an idea.

Is it a good one?

Maybe!
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