Do startups have an asshole problem? Yes. Do they have an "enforced fun" problem, as someone else asked? Yes again. To some extent, I think these are both r

Do startups have an asshole problem? Yes. Do they have an "enforced fun" problem, as someone else asked? Yes again. To some extent, I think these are both reflections of something else: Silicon Valley style startups have an extrovert problem. Even though we're in an industry notorious for its prevalence of introverts, we're all called upon to put on our extrovert disguises for loud boisterous hyper-social fun from time to time. Why? Part of it is that American culture in general tends to favor extroverts. Part of it is that startups have to do a lot of selling, both the company and the product, and that's extrovert territory again. Part of it, I think, is that VC culture strongly favors extroverts. VCs have to be that way due to the nature of their business, they favor founders who tend that way, they favor other execs who also tend that way, and everyone else just has to follow along. That's why non-VC startups tend not to have the same pathologies. People who cozy up to megalomaniacal show-offs a lot tend to become . . . well, anyone can complete that sentence.