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 endeavor. A launch gone wrong finds Dinesh and Gilfoyle at war as Jared tries to keep the peace.

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 as things get more serious. After learning of surprising developments afoot at Raviga, Monica has trouble deciding which horse to back.

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; later, he considers whether to put his pride aside for a job. Concerned about Jian-Yang’s commitment to his app, Erlich takes matters into his own hands.

An overtired 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. Dinesh goes on a date. Big Head enters the world of academia. Gavin faces an unknown future.

Richard butts heads with Dinesh, whose new position goes to his head. Richard discovers interesting data about PiperChat’s users. Erlich makes a play to be involved in Jian-Yang’s new app. Jared sets ground rules in his friendship with Richard. Gavin’s paranoia over Jack’s enthusiasm causes him to make a rash decision.

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. Erlich faces resistance from Big Head’s dad, while Gavin balks after Jack steps on his toes at Hooli. Having a hard time adjusting to his company’s pivot, Richard gets sage advice from an unexpected source, leading him to a big idea that could change his future.

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.

Shocking stats are revealed and prompt Richard to bridge the gap between Pied Piper and its users, but Jared must go to extremes to keep everything intact. Gavin tries to recapture his former glory by bringing in new talent after discovering secrets about the competition.

Erlich tries to be honest with Richard, who has mixed emotions about their friendship and the future of Pied Piper. Jared’s new company apparel turns heads but fuels yet another clash between Dinesh and Gilfoyle.

A beta version of Pied Piper gets an unexpected reception as Dinesh’s lack of friends worries him. Amanda isn’t sure she can dole out criticism. A strapped Erlich mulls a big decision. The Nucleus team tackles a difficult challenge from Gavin.

Richard’s neuroses could ruin his new relationship. Big Head and Erlich’s launch party goes awry. Dinesh is smitten with a foreign coworker.

Richard’s ego gets in the way during an interview. Erlich makes his pitch to Big Head. Dinesh, Gilfoyle and Jared lose track of some hardware.

Erlich has new competition. The Pied Piper staff has a hard time giving less than their all. Monica stands her ground. Gavin reaches a decision about Nucleus.

Richard searches for a way around Jack. Gilfoyle opens himself up to recruiters. Dinesh draws unwanted attention from a recent purchase.

The new and improved Pied Piper impresses Dinesh and Gilfoyle, but worries Richard. Jared and Erlich both face housing issues. Gavin suggests a controversial move.

After being unceremoniously fired, an angry Richard faces a tough decision: accept the diminished role of CTO, or leave Pied Piper for good. Erlich takes a shine to Jack Barker, Laurie’s new choice of CEO, while Dinesh and Gilfoyle weigh their options in Richard’s absence. At Hooli, Gavin tries to improve his image by admitting failure, and Big Head gets wind of major changes.

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.

When Pied Piper and Hooli enter binding arbitration, Erlich demands to be put on the stand. Meanwhile, Big Head finds himself propped up, and Richard worries Hooli’s claim could have legs.

Richard causes trouble when he sympathizes with a competitor.

Richard is faced with a tough decision, regarding the future of Pied Piper. Dinesh flirts with a woman online.

Monica wants Pied Piper to participate in a livestream event. Erlich reconnects with Double-A, someone he used to mentor. Jared encourages Monica and Carla to be friends.

Gavin continues to cause trouble for Pied Piper. Gilfoyle works on building servers. Jared becomes Richard’s roommate.

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.

While considering Gavin’s proposal, Richard is approached by Russ Hanneman, an image-conscious billionaire who wants to back Pied Piper, but may not be as “hands-off” as he claims. Gilfoyle and Dinesh play hardball to get what they want; Gavin finds a new strategy in dealing with the enemy.

In the wake of Hooli’s bombshell, 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. Richard gets a surprising offer.

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.

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.

At TechCrunch Disrupt, Richard feels the pressure to finish his demo, but finds himself distracted by a girl he dated briefly, who’s now spreading rumors about him. Jared worries that Monica is taking his place in the company. Dinesh develops a crush on a girl at a neighboring booth. Erlich’s scandalous past connection to one of the judges threatens Pied Piper’s chances.

Richard feels threatened when the team hires “The Carver” a hacker with a notorious reputation, to help with Pied Piper’s cloud. Jared finds himself taken for a ride when he seeks out Peter Gregory’s signature. Erlich and Dinesh compete for the attention of Tara, Gilfoyle’s visiting girlfriend. Later, Dinesh faces a sexual dilemma.

Erlich convinces a graffiti artist to create Pied Piper’s logo; Jared works to make the company more efficient; Richard learns that he has eight weeks to prepare for a live demonstration.

At Peter’s toga party, Richard drunkenly promises to make Erlich a board member, which he regrets the next morning. After being unassigned at Hooli, Big Head finds others like him who have made careers out of doing nothing. Richard struggles to put Pied Piper’s vision into words for a presentation without Erlich; later, he discovers an interesting connection between Peter and Gavin Belson.

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, Erlich goes on a vision quest for a new company name, and Peter Gregory proves elusive when one of his companies asks for money.

After a celebratory party at the Hacker Hostel, Richard and Erlich learn that Peter Gregory won’t pay up until they deliver a viable business plan that includes a slimmed-downed staff. A desperate Richard hires former Belson underling Jared, and they set about trying to trim the fat. While Gilfoyle and Dinesh prove essential, Big Head’s place in the company is less certain.

Attending an elaborate launch party, Richard and his computer programmer friends – Big Head, Dinesh and Gilfoyle – dream of making it big. Instead, they’re living in the communal Hacker Hostel owned by former programmer Erlich, who gets to claim ten percent of anything they invent there. When it becomes clear that Richard has developed a powerful compression algorithm for his website, Pied Piper, he finds himself courted by Gavin Belson, his egomaniacal corporate boss, who offers a $10 million buyout by his firm, Hooli. But Richard holds back when well-known investor Peter Gregory makes a counteroffer.