4 ms·

Founder's syndrome takes a troubling turn

16 points by smaili 10y ago

sp527 10y ago
I've met the people who start as MBB consultants or bulge bracket bankers and then graduate Harvard/Wharton/Stanford MBA and finally land up in a VC job. No rational person would want them within 10 miles of their business. Now someone who actually has legitimate tech industry experience OTOH (and there are some but not many VCs like that) might actually have useful insight. But ultimately it's the founder on the ground, who's taken the company from nil to something valuable, who is best positioned to make judgment calls. All that said, gratuitous outlays of OPM in bad faith are unacceptable no matter what the circumstances are.
carsongross 10y ago
Founder's syndrome -- when a founder thinks he or she knows what's best and doesn't want critical feedback -- has long been a tech industry affliction. But these days, it's becoming a bigger problem. Sometimes, it's worth reading the comments.
BinaryIdiot 10y ago
I may or may not have worked with people who had severe cases of Founder's Syndrome. Not much you can really do though. If the VCs want to keep throwing money at them then oh well and if they go out of business...welp not much you can do about that. Actually come to think of it I'm not entirely sure what the point of this article is. Basically it's: bunch of entitled entrepreneurs got easy money and won't listen to people might face hard times.
- spitfire 10y ago
  The problem with entitled founders getting money is while they have it they suck the oxygen out of the room. Then when their companies die they poison the well. Theranos absolutely sucks the oxygen out of the room for people doing real medicine. When they finally die, just try getting funding for a new diagnostic technology. Also see Webvan, pets.com and many others.
1_listerine_pls 10y ago
Felt more like a rant trying to fit them all in the same bin.
empressplay 10y ago
Spot on. I can't imagine this article will do very well on HN though =) (Disclaimer: I totally suffer from "Founder's Syndrome"... but shut up, if I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!)

16 points by smaili 10y ago

sp527 10y ago

I've met the people who start as MBB consultants or bulge bracket bankers and then graduate Harvard/Wharton/Stanford MBA and finally land up in a VC job. No rational person would want them within 10 miles of their business. Now someone who actually has legitimate tech industry experience OTOH (and there are some but not many VCs like that) might actually have useful insight. But ultimately it's the founder on the ground, who's taken the company from nil to something valuable, who is best positioned to make judgment calls. All that said, gratuitous outlays of OPM in bad faith are unacceptable no matter what the circumstances are.

carsongross 10y ago

Founder's syndrome -- when a founder thinks he or she knows what's best and doesn't want critical feedback -- has long been a tech industry affliction. But these days, it's becoming a bigger problem. Sometimes, it's worth reading the comments.

BinaryIdiot 10y ago

I may or may not have worked with people who had severe cases of Founder's Syndrome. Not much you can really do though. If the VCs want to keep throwing money at them then oh well and if they go out of business...welp not much you can do about that. Actually come to think of it I'm not entirely sure what the point of this article is. Basically it's: bunch of entitled entrepreneurs got easy money and won't listen to people might face hard times.

spitfire 10y ago
The problem with entitled founders getting money is while they have it they suck the oxygen out of the room. Then when their companies die they poison the well. Theranos absolutely sucks the oxygen out of the room for people doing real medicine. When they finally die, just try getting funding for a new diagnostic technology. Also see Webvan, pets.com and many others.

1_listerine_pls 10y ago

Felt more like a rant trying to fit them all in the same bin.

empressplay 10y ago

Spot on. I can't imagine this article will do very well on HN though =) (Disclaimer: I totally suffer from "Founder's Syndrome"... but shut up, if I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!)