Back in the early 90s, I vividly remember the buzz surrounding the fledgling internet industry, everyone trumpeting the paradigm shift that this young industry run by young people would create. I didn't realize that this shift was largely about trumpeting the value of young white guys über alles.
Attention Internet. We've got yet another bozo screaming about meaningless things. This time, an overentitled 34 year old angel-investor is yelling about overentitled twentysomethings.
Here I go at 44, moaning about "those kids!" At least this comes from Boston, and not San Francisco. The last guy embarrassed the West Coast enough. This Bostonian is mostly kinda pumped-up and self-important, but not scarily dumb like our recent SF Bay Area guy who demonstrated how deeply insensitive he is to homelessness.
My favorite bit in this one? Startup leadership has earned your respect.
"There's often a reason why your founder, VC, or those who manage you are in the position that they are in – they worked for it."
Or their parents, or grandparents, paid for it. Also, other people are paying for the VC you are burning. Nice messenger bag, tho!
A common reason many startups fail is because the VC, founders, and executives have no experience dealing with anything like what they are now trying. The reason many young startup employees cast about lost and perform poorly is because they are un-managed by this same inexperienced management. Writing them an angry blog post won't change anything.
The author, whose name I can't be bothered to go reference, spends a lot of time demanding people work long hours and suffer, so the management team and investors can make more money. He even points out that while you may see your executives getting rich as you toil away, you should shut up and suck it up.
"Also, learn how to duck. You'll be taking a lot of punches. It's better when some of them miss you because you're expecting them. The founder of your 1,000 employee company is getting rich while you have to cancel sushi with friends that night? Duck."
At a thousand-person startup, you have taken a job. You don't need to cancel sushi dates, because you should be working on a schedule like 9 to 5. If management can't properly resource at a thousand person company, you should run away.
Why are we seeing so many of these pissed off, classist, racist diatribes from the tech sector?
This whole new tradition of screaming your lungs out about how your BMW got dirty is insane.
