4 ms·
True in Silicon Valley, but I've witnessed people (in publishing specifically) who were spectacular screw-ups at publishing /startups/ and they screwed themselv
by randall 15y ago
True in Silicon Valley, but I've witnessed people (in publishing specifically) who were spectacular screw-ups at publishing /startups/ and they screwed themselves over professionally.
In Silicon Valley, screwups don't follow you. In other industries, I think they can / do.
I'd also emphasize that I know my share of YC founders, and I have a pool of people who want to work in startups but don't have a ton of skills, nor any real resume from which to speak from... and for people who aren't willing to pack up and move to SF for some reason (family, money, etc.) joining a crap no-shot startup is at least something, compared to the nothing they're going to get by working at a gas station.
- wisty 15y agoIs that rational? I can see why, for example, airlines don't get a second chance. If you even give off a whiff of cluelessness in aviation, nobody will want to touch you again - there's too much at stake. Other industries are less risky, but a lack of professionalism can still be expensive - people are relying on you to help carry their project. On the other hand, there's plenty of cases where management is just too thick to deal with risk. In either case (risk is bad, or management can't handle it), screwing up can be a career limiting move.
- dpritchett 15y agoWith publishing at least there can be a high opportunity cost in partnering with a startup. Content providers might be losing access to exclusive publishing channels that bring a lower risk. If you get exclusive rights to my content for 18 months and don't make me any money with it then you might just have burned a bridge.