"HCF" ("Halt and Catch Fire") is from one of a number of lists of humourous assembly command mnemonics. Others are "BrH" ("Branch and Hang" and "DWIM" ("Do What I Meant"). {DWIM, if it existed, would be the single most useful programming command ever.} HCF refers to a computer machine code instruction that causes the computer's central processing unit (CPU) to cease meaningful operation, typically requiring a restart of the computer.

In an interview for The Guardian, Lee Pace references Steve Jobs, Patrick Bateman and Don Draper as influences for his portrayal of character Joe Macmillan.

Scoot McNairy (Gordon Clark) interviewed computer engineers to see what their personal and professional quirks were. He then applied some of these findings to help ground his character.

Several of the apartments where Joe lives over the series are apartment number 304.

Scoot McNairy and Kerry Bishe co-star as husband and wife, Gordon and Donna Clark. They also appeared as husband and wife, Joe and Kathy Stafford, in Argo.