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Some of us care about the ethics of those we work with. Being a Zionist is also a brand risk. Just look at Vercel when their CEO met with Netanyahu. Many people
by slowin 1mo ago
Some of us care about the ethics of those we work with. Being a Zionist is also a brand risk. Just look at Vercel when their CEO met with Netanyahu. Many people canceled their accounts and now will never use Vercel. Mainly I don't want to work with people who are enthusiastic about committing genocide, as so many VCs are.
- otterley 1mo agoI don’t follow the logic. Since when does the act of meeting with someone mean you’ve adopted their beliefs? Do you adopt the beliefs of everyone you’ve met? What if you've met both a Zionist and an anti-Zionist? What does that make you?
- slowin 1mo agoRaising money from someone and putting them on your board is more than "meeting with them".
- otterley 1mo agoFor sure. But that's not what you said before. And Netanyahu isn't on Vercel's board, nor did Netanyahu raise money for him. The only news I see about this is a brouhaha over a selfie and a meeting in NYC with different tech business leaders. So I don't quite know what you're on about.
- slowin 1mo agoOh yes, I wouldn't ever work with anyone who met with Netanyahu. That's ridiculous. Vercel's CEO even went to Israel to do it (that wasn't in NYC -- not that that would make it ok). I'll never use one of their products. Would you work with someone who took a selfie with Hitler? This is the 21st century equivalent.
- sulmon7 1mo agoThis is a really dumb take. You're relying on a straw man (nobody claimed the CEO adopted his beliefs; they're talking about brand risk) and a category mistake (treating a high-level corporate photo-op like bumping into someone at a coffee shop). You can do better.
- otterley 1mo agoPeople have the responsibility to say what they mean and make their arguments clear and well understood. He said that being a Zionist is a brand risk. The implication is that the CEO of Vercel is a Zionist.
- slowin 1mo agoThe CEO of Vercel is a Zionist: https://x.com/rauchg/status/1972669025525158031 https://x.com/rauchg/status/1972669025525158031 Also your original comment was a non sequitur. I replied to a VC saying they could make their own lane by being ethical and being anti-Zionist and you replied asking about business fundamentals, which had nothing to do with what we were discussing.
- otterley 1mo agoThat post does not establish the connection that you think it does. There was no language of agreement with Natanyahu’s political views therein. In fact his language was inclusive (“peace for Israel AND its neighbors”). You drew a contrary conclusion yourself (as did anyone else who thinks similarly). It’s fair to question whether a VC should care about a founder’s position on Zionism (or vice versa). If you don’t like it, that’s on you.
- slowin 1mo agoA Zionist is someone who thinks Israel should exist, and here he is wishing for "greatness" for Israel. He is a Zionist. > It’s fair to question whether a VC should care about a founder’s position on Zionism (or vice versa). If you don’t like it, that’s on you. Re-read the thread. No one was talking about what VCs want, I was talking about what founders want. VC opinions on founders aren't part of this discussion.