HBO's 'Silicon Valley' really built a 'Bro app' based off the Yo app
But there was also a funny subplot during the episode, in which Pied Piper member Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani) tries desperately to sabotage his cousin's Kickstarter campaign for his app called "Bro."
Bro is a messaging app that lets you send the word "Bro" to everyone else who has the app.
Showing his cousin he's "cool," Dinesh donated $5,000 to his campaign, but now with Pied Piper's funding in peril, Dinesh doesn't have the money and tries to convince his cousin to halt the campaign.
If Bro sounds familiar, that's because there's a very similar app already on the market.
The Yo app, created by Or Arbel - reportedly in only eight hours in 2014 - makes it possible for you to send people who also have the app the word "Yo."
"It's silly because it's a nothing app," Judge explains. "I remember thinking, there was MySpace and Friendster before Facebook and maybe after Yo some others would come along." (Which has already happened, thanks to Aaron Paul.)
But like most jokes or storylines on the show, the creators always attempt to bring as much reality to it as possible.
In the case of Bro, a team was formed to create a prototype.
There aren't any shots of the Bro interface in the episode, but the use of the app leads to a funny sequence in which Pied Piper member Jared (Zach Woods) sets up a meeting with a VC company through "Broing" with one of its members. However, the meeting turns out to be disastrous for the Pied Piper guys, leading a heartbroken Jared to confront his contact saying, "I thought we were bros?"
According to HBO, there are no plans to make the Bro app available for the general public.
Business Insider reached out to Yo creator Or Arbel to get his thoughts on Bro. Though he was not aware the show spoofed his app, he seemed flattered.
"I love the show, so for Yo to be mentioned is amazing," said Arbel. "We are doing some things that are bigger than sending a Yo or a Bro, but this is a milestone for us, to be honest."