4 ms·

An overly positive culture is default behavior for most startups. It does appear to be poisonous and there is nothing you can do about it. If you call people ou

An overly positive culture is default behavior for most startups. It does appear to be poisonous and there is nothing you can do about it. If you call people out on BS, you are painted as a negative person. Not sure there is a fix.

throwthere 5y ago
Makes me think about theranos or wework. Charismatic leaders can get a lot of people/talent following them without necessarily having a solid grasp on all of the complicated aspects of the business they run. Of course you have really great charismatic leaders in startups like Marc Benioff for example who kind of get everything right.
- danielmarkbruce 5y ago
  I don't work at salesforce, but I can almost guarantee people who work there will tell you they are miles from getting everything right. Every company is pretty messy internally. As for theranos and wework - i don't mean those kinds of things. I mean standard non-fraud startups. The always positive culture is there, and at least for folks who take some pride in being rational, it is quite demoralizing.
  - Nextgrid 5y ago
    > I mean standard non-fraud startups. Fraud is not black and white. "Toxic positivity" can enable shenanigans or conceal problems in an otherwise non-fraudulent startup.
    - danielmarkbruce 5y ago
      Yep true. I should have been more clear - I just meant that toxic positivity is more widespread, it's not only at fraudulent companies.
nowherebeen 5y ago
If you rock the boat, you are toxic and not a team player. That’s how it works at most startups. It’s career suicide to say anything else other than what the team wants to hear.
te_chris 5y ago
Think this is a particularly American trait - though infecting other parts of the world. Brits, e.g., tend to be more cynical by default, so it’s hard to run a sycophantic culture like that.
- danielmarkbruce 5y ago
  Australians too, generally. The Fast situation is a very peculiar Australian.
lupire 5y ago
Most new businesses fail. Realists don't launch new businesses (unless they are spending other people's money).

throwthere 5y ago

Makes me think about theranos or wework. Charismatic leaders can get a lot of people/talent following them without necessarily having a solid grasp on all of the complicated aspects of the business they run. Of course you have really great charismatic leaders in startups like Marc Benioff for example who kind of get everything right.

danielmarkbruce 5y ago
I don't work at salesforce, but I can almost guarantee people who work there will tell you they are miles from getting everything right. Every company is pretty messy internally. As for theranos and wework - i don't mean those kinds of things. I mean standard non-fraud startups. The always positive culture is there, and at least for folks who take some pride in being rational, it is quite demoralizing.
- Nextgrid 5y ago
  > I mean standard non-fraud startups. Fraud is not black and white. "Toxic positivity" can enable shenanigans or conceal problems in an otherwise non-fraudulent startup.
  - danielmarkbruce 5y ago
    Yep true. I should have been more clear - I just meant that toxic positivity is more widespread, it's not only at fraudulent companies.

nowherebeen 5y ago

If you rock the boat, you are toxic and not a team player. That’s how it works at most startups. It’s career suicide to say anything else other than what the team wants to hear.

te_chris 5y ago

Think this is a particularly American trait - though infecting other parts of the world. Brits, e.g., tend to be more cynical by default, so it’s hard to run a sycophantic culture like that.

danielmarkbruce 5y ago
Australians too, generally. The Fast situation is a very peculiar Australian.

lupire 5y ago

Most new businesses fail. Realists don't launch new businesses (unless they are spending other people's money).