2 ms·

"I like seeing them fail." PG was just talking the other day about HN'ers who have feelings like that: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4293786 http://news

by larrys 14y ago

"I like seeing them fail." PG was just talking the other day about HN'ers who have feelings like that: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4293786 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4293786 I'd be curious if you get a chance of your comments to that thread (particularly what I said I felt was a possible reason and PG's response). Of course no matter which way you slice it it does make interesting watching. As they say in news "if it bleeds it leads". People love a good train wreck.

mattmaroon 14y ago
I'm not sure the comment you're replying to views all startups as a con like PG was talking about. A lot of people just dislike Zynga because of their early shady business practices, and the fact that their games are seen as a dumbing down of the industry. Zynga is sort of the Nickelback of the startup world.
- adharmad 14y ago
  Not to mention their recent move of asking employees to return unvested options.
  - captaintacos 14y ago
    Not to mention the shameless cloning of games from smaller indie companies such as NimbleBit's Tiny Tower http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399380,00.asp http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399380,00.asp
Goronmon 14y ago
That comment was in the context of startups in general. As a gamer, I consider the game development practices of Zynga disgusting and if I hope that they fail, it's so that other companies are wary of trying to replicate their game designs in the future.
- larrys 14y ago
  "As a gamer" Thanks for your perspective. I'm not a gamer and don't follow the inside story about zynga to understand it from that point of view (ask me about certain domain registrars though and I will have plenty to say along the same lines). Correct me if I'm wrong (can't find any links) but I think Pincus was the one that fired some employees for not pulling their weight prior to the IPO or something like that. That gave me a distaste for him although I also noted that Fred Wilson defended him personally on his blog. Here's a link but not the most relevant on the matter: http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/01/fred_wilson_say.php http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/01/fred...
reitzensteinm 14y ago
If you have that attitude about 90% of startups (or companies in general), it's unhealthy. If you have that attitude about just one or two of them, I'd suggest it's healthier than that number being zero. Not everything that makes money should be celebrated.
samstave 14y ago
I only feel this way about Zynga. Knowing their history and everything about the way they have conducted business, I have no sympathy for them and even their investors.
oh_sigh 14y ago
That post is only talking about a certain type of people, who disparage startups on the whole. Not liking one particular startup does not imply that you don't like all startups.

by larrys 14y ago

mattmaroon 14y ago

I'm not sure the comment you're replying to views all startups as a con like PG was talking about. A lot of people just dislike Zynga because of their early shady business practices, and the fact that their games are seen as a dumbing down of the industry. Zynga is sort of the Nickelback of the startup world.

adharmad 14y ago
Not to mention their recent move of asking employees to return unvested options.
- captaintacos 14y ago
  Not to mention the shameless cloning of games from smaller indie companies such as NimbleBit's Tiny Tower http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399380,00.asp http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399380,00.asp

Goronmon 14y ago

That comment was in the context of startups in general. As a gamer, I consider the game development practices of Zynga disgusting and if I hope that they fail, it's so that other companies are wary of trying to replicate their game designs in the future.

larrys 14y ago
"As a gamer" Thanks for your perspective. I'm not a gamer and don't follow the inside story about zynga to understand it from that point of view (ask me about certain domain registrars though and I will have plenty to say along the same lines). Correct me if I'm wrong (can't find any links) but I think Pincus was the one that fired some employees for not pulling their weight prior to the IPO or something like that. That gave me a distaste for him although I also noted that Fred Wilson defended him personally on his blog. Here's a link but not the most relevant on the matter: http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/01/fred_wilson_say.php http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/01/fred...

reitzensteinm 14y ago

If you have that attitude about 90% of startups (or companies in general), it's unhealthy. If you have that attitude about just one or two of them, I'd suggest it's healthier than that number being zero. Not everything that makes money should be celebrated.

samstave 14y ago

I only feel this way about Zynga. Knowing their history and everything about the way they have conducted business, I have no sympathy for them and even their investors.

oh_sigh 14y ago

That post is only talking about a certain type of people, who disparage startups on the whole. Not liking one particular startup does not imply that you don't like all startups.