3 ms·

YCombinator seems to encourage this. Here's what they say about their dinner events: "Talks are strictly off the record to encourage candor, because the ins

YCombinator seems to encourage this. Here's what they say about their dinner events: "Talks are strictly off the record to encourage candor, because the inside story of most startups is more colorful than the one presented later to the public. Because YC has been around so long and we have personal relationships with most of the speakers, they trust that what they say won’t get out and tell us a lot of medium-secret stuff." Anecdotally, I've heard stories about Zuckerberg confessing/bragging about all sorts of nasty things at these dinners. Really, this stuff should just be shamed. Sadly, too often calling out bad behavior just gets you called a "hater"...

thereare5lights 5y ago
Lol, they're not even trying to hide it. Do you see what people like Paul Graham tweet? They're pretty open about these nasty things and then they get all surprised when people call them out on it.
- achillesheels 5y ago
  Could you please give an example for the public audience? Or what is the worst, ie most appalling, you’ve seen?
halfmatthalfcat 5y ago
I've actually just encountered this first fucking hand and it disgusted me. I'm an aspiring founder working on something and met a coworker who had been through YC W17. I wanted to pick his brain on his experience, especially since I've been applying to YC myself. This coworker told me he and his "startup": - routinely lied to potential customers on the size of their client list - misled clients on the depth and completeness of their product - blatantly broke CA laws to cut cost corners All of this was done to secure contracts in order to secure more funding. "Always be selling", he said. He literally fucking said to me that he learned to "be dubious, not deceitful" which is probably one of the most deceitful things I've ever heard. Made me sick to my stomach and pretty much validated (1) why I never moved to SF in the first place, instead moved to NYC and (2) how much of a fraud YC has become. Absolute fucking madness.

thereare5lights 5y ago

Lol, they're not even trying to hide it. Do you see what people like Paul Graham tweet? They're pretty open about these nasty things and then they get all surprised when people call them out on it.

achillesheels 5y ago
Could you please give an example for the public audience? Or what is the worst, ie most appalling, you’ve seen?

halfmatthalfcat 5y ago

I've actually just encountered this first fucking hand and it disgusted me. I'm an aspiring founder working on something and met a coworker who had been through YC W17. I wanted to pick his brain on his experience, especially since I've been applying to YC myself. This coworker told me he and his "startup": - routinely lied to potential customers on the size of their client list - misled clients on the depth and completeness of their product - blatantly broke CA laws to cut cost corners All of this was done to secure contracts in order to secure more funding. "Always be selling", he said. He literally fucking said to me that he learned to "be dubious, not deceitful" which is probably one of the most deceitful things I've ever heard. Made me sick to my stomach and pretty much validated (1) why I never moved to SF in the first place, instead moved to NYC and (2) how much of a fraud YC has become. Absolute fucking madness.