Richard is being courted by Hooli honcho, Gavin Belson, and eccentric investor Peter Gregory when they see potential dollar signs in his new website... but for completely different reasons.
After a celebratory party at the Hacker Hostel, Richard and Erlich learn that Peter won't pay up until they deliver a viable business plan including slimmed-downed staff. A desperate Richard hires former Belson underling Jared and they set about trying to trim the fat.
While Gavin Belson begins to hype Nucleus, a competing compression platform, Richard learns that the name Pied Piper is already registered to a sprinkler company, forcing him to negotiate. Meanwhile, Peter Gregory proves elusive when one of his companies asks for money.
At Peter's toga party, Richard drunkenly promises to make Erlich a board member, which he deeply regrets the next morning. Later, an interesting few days continue for Richard when he discovers an intriguing connection between Peter Gregory and Gavin Belson.
Erlich asks a graffiti artist to design Pied Piper's logo… with some controversial results. Meanwhile, Richard finds out that he doesn't have much time to get ready for a live demonstration at TechCrunch Disrupt..
When Pied Piper's cloud needs some help, the team hire a hacker called "The Carver", a move which puts Richard on edge due to the hacker's reputation. Meanwhile, Jared is determined to get Peter's signature, and Dinesh gets caught up in a sexual dilemma.
Richard is concerned he won't finish his demo in time as TechCrunch Disrupt opens... and he soon gets distracted by the rumours an ex-girlfriend is spreading about him. Meanwhile, Jared isn't happy with Amanda's new position, and Dinesh is busy falling in love.
Poised to compete at TechCrunch Disrupt, the guys of Pied Piper become worried after an impressive presentation by Gavin Belson. As Jared tries to pivot the company, Richard is inspired to make big changes at the last minute.
After being unceremoniously fired, an angry Richard faces a tough decision: accept the diminished role of CTO, or leave Pied Piper for good. At Hooli, Gavin tries to improve his image by admitting failure, and Big Head gets wind of major changes.
Pied Piper's new and improved offices and perks impress Dinesh and Gilfoyle, but Richard worries his vision has been compromised. Jared faces issues evicting renters from his condo. Erlich struggles to get rid of Jian-Yang. Gavin suggests a controversial move at Hooli.
Facing the bleak future of Pied Piper's new agenda, Richard appeals to Laurie for help. Gilfoyle opens himself up to recruiters' pursuits. Dinesh's latest purchase brings him unwanted attention, and the guys decide to work up a master plan to covertly force Jack's hand.
Struggling to perform at a lesser level, the guys end up with a product that's more successful than they intended. Erlich discovers he's facing Hacker Hostel competition from a familiar face. Convinced of Pied Piper's threat, Gavin decides to double down on Nucleus.
Nervous about Laurie's next steps, Richard takes matters into his own hands, letting his ego get the better of him during an interview. Dinesh, Gilfoyle and Jared misplace an important piece of hardware. Erlich faces unexpected pushback pitching his plans to Big Head.
Richard finds himself in his element while leading a global staff of engineers but his budding relationship is threatened by his coding neuroses. Dinesh takes an interest in a foreign co-worker. Big Head and Erlich's launch party hits a snag, or two.
The guys receive an unexpected response when they decide to release the beta version of Pied Piper. Monica worries about how to deliver criticism. Erlich, on facing financial woes, considers a big decision, and Gavin challenges the Nucleus team to do the impossible.
Erlich struggles to come clean to Richard, who is forced to make a choice between friendship and the company's future. Jared's new Pied Piper apparel makes a splash, and divides Dinesh and Gilfoyle. As Gavin faces major life changes, the guys celebrate a rare victory.
Upon discovering some surprising stats, Richard attempts to bridge the gap between Pied Piper and its users, leading Jared to take drastic measures to hold everything together. Gavin learns secrets about the competition and decides to bring in a new face.
With Pied Piper's future in question, Erlich's publicity success leaves Richard in a moral quandary just as Dinesh's video-chat app starts to pick up speed. While Laurie prepares to jump ship, Gavin's comeback at Hooli is threatened by his displays of grandeur.
In the wake of Pied Piper's clickfarm scandal, the guys struggle to find funding for Pied Piper's video-chat app to keep up with their rapidly growing user base. Having a hard time adjusting to his company's pivot, Richard gets sage advice from an unexpected source.
Richard butts heads with Dinesh and later discovers interesting data about PiperChat's users. Erlich makes a play to be involved in Jian-Yang's new app; Jared sets ground rules with Richard; Gavin's paranoia over Jack's enthusiasm leads to a rash decision.
Richard pushes himself to the brink of sanity while trying to move ahead with his next big idea. Eyeing a comeback, Erlich pressures an uncooperative Jian-Yang. Monica sets a trap at Raviga to improve her standing with Laurie. Big Head enters the world of academia.
When Richard reaches out to an unlikely ally, Jared worries about the company he's keeping. Gilfoyle gets tough on security in the wake of Dinesh's latest dalliance. Concerned about Jian-Yang's commitment to his app, Erlich takes matters into his own hands.
Cracks in Richard's latest partnership become more apparent when he's forced to deal with an unexpected interloper. Dinesh scrambles to find a way out of his new relationship. Surprising developments afoot at Raviga leave Monica troubled deciding which horse to back.
On the hunt for financial support, Richard looks outside the tech bubble, and crosses paths with a contentious figure from Pied Piper's past. Erlich reaches out to Monica and Laurie in search of a new endeavour. A launch gone wrong finds Dinesh and Gilfoyle at war.
Richard decides to stand up to a patent troll, but his defiance comes back to haunt him. Gilfoyle goes to extremes to battle Jian-Yang's new smart fridge. Jared embraces multiple identities in an effort to reduce costs, while Erlich mixes with a group of alpha males.
Richard ponders a deal with the tech world's latest "it" boy. Jack, meanwhile, faces setbacks.
The Pied Piper guys try to pull off a stealth plan at Hooli-Con.
Richard finds himself in a web of lies; Jared plans his exit; Jack bets big; Gavin plots a comeback.
The Pied Piper guys are wined and dined by every venture capitalist under the sun, while Monica adjusts to a new managing partner at Raviga as the company faces major changes.
Richard and the guys struggle to find a backer as they face legal and financial woes. Monica attempts to balance her interest in Pied Piper with her job. A cash-strapped Dinesh tries to put an end to the Kickstarter campaign for his cousin's new app, Bro.
While considering Gavin's proposal, Richard is approached by Russ Hanneman, an image-conscious billionaire who wants to back Pied Piper. Gilfoyle and Dinesh play hardball to get what they want. Gavin finds a new strategy in dealing with the enemy.
Richard and Erlich disagree over a potential employee. Dinesh and Gilfoyle worry that someone they recommended for the company will be receiving more money than they make.
Gavin's interference causes Pied Piper to struggle with securing their expansion, whilst a nosy neighbour puts the guys at risk. Meanwhile, Big Head's management skills are questioned, and Nucleus' debut zeroes in on a big event.
When Monica encourages the guys to pounce on an opportunity, Erlich reconnects with his old billionaire mentor, Double-A... but Richard finds out their friendship isn't quite what Erlich thinks it is. Meanwhile, Jared encourages a friendship between Carla and Monica.
With the Pied Piper team fielding job offers and Russ distracted by financial news, Richard faces the prospect of either merging with a nemesis or folding. Elsewhere, Dinesh tries his hand at wooing a woman online.
When Richard takes pity on a competitor, he accidentally sparks a feud that finds him getting paranoid about security. Meanwhile, facing pressure from board members, Gavin looks to place responsibility elsewhere, and Jared exaggerates Pied Piper's size to get results.
Erlich wants to testify when Pied Piper and Hooli enter binding arbitration, but Richard worries that his rival's claims could have merit. Meanwhile, Jared, Dinesh and Gilfoyle debate a philosophical theory, and Big Head gets a boost.
As the guys await the verdict on Pied Piper's fate, an unexpected real-life drama draws a spike in traffic to their livestream and leaves them fighting to hold things together - literally. While Erlich considers his future, Richard scrambles to save Pied Piper's.
Richard discovers his promise to keep Pied Piper free from collecting user data is under threat. Jared finds himself missing his role as Richard's go-to guy and decides to revisit the hacker hostel. Gilfoyle devises a creative way to deal with Dinesh's complaining.
When Richard meets an interested investor with a sketchy past, he must weigh his integrity against a tempting financial offer. Jared seeks a new future, putting him at odds with Richard. A defiant Gilfoyle butts heads with HR over his lack of direct reports.
Feeling backed into a corner, Richard commiserates with a former rival. Dinesh considers being a better person in order to right his string of bad luck. Monica suggests a drastic move that finds the Pied Piper team racing against the clock to close a major deal.
Richard's authority is threatened by his former Hooli manager. Monica tries to prove her support of other women by participating in Laurie's female empowerment team. Gavin sets his sights on the literary world. Jared finally meets his birth parents and commits to Gwart.
Richard fumes when Gavin gains new notoriety for spreading a message of tech accountability. Dinesh's trip to Hawaii quickly turns into a nightmare. Gilfoyle and Monica set out to improve their peer review scores in the office. Holden braces for a showdown with Jared.
Richard, Dinesh, Gilfoyle and Jared face their greatest challenge yet as a massive event tests PiperNet's capabilities, while Laurie's unexpected presence makes them wary of sabotage. Monica discovers Jian-yang is using Pied Piper's name for his own benefit.
Ahead of a career-defining moment, Richard makes a startling discovery that changes everything and sends the entire Pied Piper team racing to pull off the biggest bait-and-switch that Silicon Valley has ever seen.
Now that Pied Piper has ample funding and new offices, the pressure to get things right stymies Richard and forces him to grow the company in a way he hadn't planned. After returning to Hooli, Gavin worries about the prospect of becoming antiquated.
Panicked by suddenly leading a much larger team, Richard finds himself managing a number of small conflicts in his efforts to unite his new employees. Jian-Yang goes to court, and Gavin is met with pushback over his signature and what it says about him.
Attempting to woo a gaming company to PiperNet, Richard inadvertently angers a prized ally. Dinesh deals with a betrayal. In preparation for a big launch, Gavin leaves his underlings with a cryptic message. Jared gets inside information from Big Head.
Overshadowed by Jared in an on-camera interview, Richard's confidence wavers further when Laurie and Monica force him to work with Eklow, a new artificial-intelligence company. Gilfoyle worries about the prospect of introducing AI into Pied Piper.
Richard decides to help when Laurie gets in a jam, but his lack of emotional discipline threatens to backfire on Pied Piper. Gavin tries to make a deal with a stubborn partner while abroad. Dinesh relishes a rare win. Jared bonds with a surprising figure.
As the Pied Piper guys prepare to close on their Series B funding, Richard receives some unsettling news. Gilfoyle suggests a risky proposition and Monica gets blunt with Richard. In search of a better deal, Gavin tries to charm small-town America.
The launch of PiperNet finds Monica suspicious of an early success, and the team must race against the clock as their future is threatened. Realising he's made more enemies then friends, Richard makes a surprising move.