5 ms·

OP here. AMA

by sarahnadav 11y ago

OP here. AMA

pavornyoh 11y ago
Hello.. Is it possible to post the entire chat conversation?
- sarahnadav 11y ago
  I went back and looked through the conversation. The entirety of the discussion only makes him look worse. It starts by me asking if they have invested in any women, him saying No and then I say "Isn't that weird" and then the screenshots start. Then we continue to chat and it turns into an argument.
smm2000 11y ago
Yep, please give full context. What was your question?
- sarahnadav 11y ago
  My question was if the VC had funded any women led start ups. He said "no"- I said that I thought it was strange and asked him why he thinks women aren't getting funded, and that is where the conversation begins.
ryanlol 11y ago
Have you ever in your life invested significant sums of money into someone else's business? Do you think that you being a mother isn't something that potential investors should take into account while performing risk analysis?
- sarahnadav 11y ago
  I have invested time and energy but not money. (I don't have that kind of money) IMO, being a mother is a bonus but no, I don't think that they should take it into account. I think that they should look at the idea and ability to execute. I think that all the data shows that women led companies are more successful, so if they do take it into account it would only be to the benefit of the mother.
  - sarciszewski 11y ago
    > I think that all the data shows that women led companies are more successful That would be interesting. If anyone on HN has the data on this one way or another, I'd definitely like to see it.
    - codingbinary 11y ago
      Plus, wouldn't that contradict the whole idea of "we are all equal. Men are not better than women" but suddenly stating the opposite is totally fine? The data on this would really be interesting.
      - sarahnadav 11y ago
        The data does show that women led companies do better- but the fact that there are so few women who have to fight to make it to the top could mean that the women who get there are better- not that women in general do better.
        codingbinary 11y ago
        I'm just wondering how the same statement (if the data would show it) would be perceived if it would be said for males. Studies could also show that there is a higher chance for mothers to quit along half the way due to child-related reasons (made up studies for the sake of argument). That on the other hand would be considered misogny. And I'd take it with a grain of salt as the sample sizes are vastly different. That being said, do you have a link somewhere? Would really be interested to read that.
  - hitekker 11y ago
    I'm not sure if I agree that being a parent is a bonus. I had a friend, male who was happily married. He cofounded a company with another right before he had a kid. Because his wife was the main breadwinner, he often times had to work-from-home to care of the baby. The needs of his company barely overlapped with the need of the child, and eventually it got to the point, where he ended up leaving the company to focus on the child. The company he cofounded has since died. You're right that some VC's will unfairly connect woman with motherhood, i.e. "Ah you're a female founder so you're going to have a kid and then the company will die!" That is sexism, no doubt. But parenthood, regardless of gender, will impact that founder's level of commitment to the company, especially if the founder is the main caretaker of the child. If this were an established company, yes: both parents can work and raise a kid well. But a startup asks for more than a 9-5 commitment: it's like another child that requires constant attention and love. Its specific needs differ greatly from human children[1] but those needs are just as pressing and as demanding, if not more so. Anything less portends an early end. [1] Baby food v.s. VC funding.
eliteraspberrie 11y ago
Venture capitalists are interested in a particular kind of person who can provide them with a quick profit: young people who are naive enough to prioritize business over their own life. If you are willing to spend a few years sleeping under a desk, drinking Soylent, then you are a good candidate for venture capital. If you have your head on your shoulders, you probably want to start a lifestyle business, and that is no good for venture capital. People here defend VC because they think they too will get rich quick, but they won't, and in the meantime they will be very stressed and nasty on the Internet. Welcome to HN.

OP here. AMA

pavornyoh 11y ago

Hello.. Is it possible to post the entire chat conversation?

sarahnadav 11y ago
I went back and looked through the conversation. The entirety of the discussion only makes him look worse. It starts by me asking if they have invested in any women, him saying No and then I say "Isn't that weird" and then the screenshots start. Then we continue to chat and it turns into an argument.

smm2000 11y ago

Yep, please give full context. What was your question?

sarahnadav 11y ago
My question was if the VC had funded any women led start ups. He said "no"- I said that I thought it was strange and asked him why he thinks women aren't getting funded, and that is where the conversation begins.

ryanlol 11y ago

Have you ever in your life invested significant sums of money into someone else's business? Do you think that you being a mother isn't something that potential investors should take into account while performing risk analysis?

sarahnadav 11y ago
I have invested time and energy but not money. (I don't have that kind of money) IMO, being a mother is a bonus but no, I don't think that they should take it into account. I think that they should look at the idea and ability to execute. I think that all the data shows that women led companies are more successful, so if they do take it into account it would only be to the benefit of the mother.
- sarciszewski 11y ago
  > I think that all the data shows that women led companies are more successful That would be interesting. If anyone on HN has the data on this one way or another, I'd definitely like to see it.
  - codingbinary 11y ago
    Plus, wouldn't that contradict the whole idea of "we are all equal. Men are not better than women" but suddenly stating the opposite is totally fine? The data on this would really be interesting.
    - sarahnadav 11y ago
      The data does show that women led companies do better- but the fact that there are so few women who have to fight to make it to the top could mean that the women who get there are better- not that women in general do better.
      - codingbinary 11y ago
        I'm just wondering how the same statement (if the data would show it) would be perceived if it would be said for males. Studies could also show that there is a higher chance for mothers to quit along half the way due to child-related reasons (made up studies for the sake of argument). That on the other hand would be considered misogny. And I'd take it with a grain of salt as the sample sizes are vastly different. That being said, do you have a link somewhere? Would really be interested to read that.
- hitekker 11y ago
  I'm not sure if I agree that being a parent is a bonus. I had a friend, male who was happily married. He cofounded a company with another right before he had a kid. Because his wife was the main breadwinner, he often times had to work-from-home to care of the baby. The needs of his company barely overlapped with the need of the child, and eventually it got to the point, where he ended up leaving the company to focus on the child. The company he cofounded has since died. You're right that some VC's will unfairly connect woman with motherhood, i.e. "Ah you're a female founder so you're going to have a kid and then the company will die!" That is sexism, no doubt. But parenthood, regardless of gender, will impact that founder's level of commitment to the company, especially if the founder is the main caretaker of the child. If this were an established company, yes: both parents can work and raise a kid well. But a startup asks for more than a 9-5 commitment: it's like another child that requires constant attention and love. Its specific needs differ greatly from human children[1] but those needs are just as pressing and as demanding, if not more so. Anything less portends an early end. [1] Baby food v.s. VC funding.

eliteraspberrie 11y ago

Venture capitalists are interested in a particular kind of person who can provide them with a quick profit: young people who are naive enough to prioritize business over their own life. If you are willing to spend a few years sleeping under a desk, drinking Soylent, then you are a good candidate for venture capital. If you have your head on your shoulders, you probably want to start a lifestyle business, and that is no good for venture capital. People here defend VC because they think they too will get rich quick, but they won't, and in the meantime they will be very stressed and nasty on the Internet. Welcome to HN.