4 ms·

Oh my, what drivel. Another startup CEO who thinks late-stage employees with essentially zero upside in the company need to put in founder hours.

porker 6y ago
It's Substack shrug
paultopia 6y ago
Thank you! The ideology of this post is so harmful. "Hire workers who care more about your interests than their own!"
- cvhashim 6y ago
  Hire workers who’ll work to the bone, have no life outside of work and make the founders rich :D
- aoeusnth1 6y ago
  “Hire workers you can exploit and have no self-worth”
  - shiftpgdn 6y ago
    Sounds like the H1B program.
ed25519FUUU 6y ago
For those reading this article who might be tempted to a company like this: stay away! You’ll not get any meaningful equity, what you have will be quickly diluted, and as the company either starts its death spiral or “March towards profitability” you’ll be asked to work inappropriate hours and your commitment to the company will be questioned. Go for an early stage startup with meaningful equity or just go for a more stable, profitable company.
- silentsea90 6y ago
  I would strongly recommend the latter. The former is playing the lottery. Even if you win, stock appreciation in big tech over 10 years beats the startup stock. Not to mention, you won't be at a no name startup for years to find out whether you won the lottery.
  - ska 6y ago
    This makes sense from a financial point of view, but that's not the only factor people care about. I'd state it more like: Go to an early stage startup only if you'll still be happy with the experience if the equity evaporates.
    - silentsea90 6y ago
      If one doesn't care about the financial PoV, there are good enough reasons to go to a mid stage startup as well (clearer purpose, structure, product market fit etc.) over an early stage one.
    - NateEag 6y ago
      _When_ the equity evaporates. Statistically, that's the smarter way to think about it.
macNchz 6y ago
I got a kick out of the sample interview questions...if I were asked them, my answers make clear the worst part about this kind of culture: >>> What’s the hardest you’ve ever worked on something? Lead-up to the holiday season as an employee of an ecommerce startup. >>> How many hours were you working a week? Way, way, way too many. >>> When were you the most unmotivated in your life? The entire following year!
- high_derivative 6y ago
  It could almost be satire on tone-deaf founder blogging.
- andrewnc 6y ago
  This is an excellent answer! I definitely chuckled

porker 6y ago

It's Substack shrug

paultopia 6y ago

Thank you! The ideology of this post is so harmful. "Hire workers who care more about your interests than their own!"

cvhashim 6y ago
Hire workers who’ll work to the bone, have no life outside of work and make the founders rich :D
aoeusnth1 6y ago
“Hire workers you can exploit and have no self-worth”
- shiftpgdn 6y ago
  Sounds like the H1B program.

ed25519FUUU 6y ago

For those reading this article who might be tempted to a company like this: stay away! You’ll not get any meaningful equity, what you have will be quickly diluted, and as the company either starts its death spiral or “March towards profitability” you’ll be asked to work inappropriate hours and your commitment to the company will be questioned. Go for an early stage startup with meaningful equity or just go for a more stable, profitable company.

silentsea90 6y ago
I would strongly recommend the latter. The former is playing the lottery. Even if you win, stock appreciation in big tech over 10 years beats the startup stock. Not to mention, you won't be at a no name startup for years to find out whether you won the lottery.
- ska 6y ago
  This makes sense from a financial point of view, but that's not the only factor people care about. I'd state it more like: Go to an early stage startup only if you'll still be happy with the experience if the equity evaporates.
  - silentsea90 6y ago
    If one doesn't care about the financial PoV, there are good enough reasons to go to a mid stage startup as well (clearer purpose, structure, product market fit etc.) over an early stage one.
  - NateEag 6y ago
    _When_ the equity evaporates. Statistically, that's the smarter way to think about it.

macNchz 6y ago

I got a kick out of the sample interview questions...if I were asked them, my answers make clear the worst part about this kind of culture: >>> What’s the hardest you’ve ever worked on something? Lead-up to the holiday season as an employee of an ecommerce startup. >>> How many hours were you working a week? Way, way, way too many. >>> When were you the most unmotivated in your life? The entire following year!

high_derivative 6y ago
It could almost be satire on tone-deaf founder blogging.
andrewnc 6y ago
This is an excellent answer! I definitely chuckled