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Not only did we give them a couple weeks to see how things played out, we advised them on negotiating with the acquirer. For the uninitiated, this is the very
by froo 18y ago
Not only did we give them a couple weeks to see how things played out, we advised them on negotiating with the acquirer.
For the uninitiated, this is the very definition of integrity.
- pg 18y agoHonestly, it was more powerlessness. How could we compete with an acquisition offer? Integrity depends more on how you behave when you have power.
- BerislavLopac 18y agoI agree with froo. This is definitely not a powerless situation, as you got to advise the startup. If you had less integrity, you could easily come up with plausible arguments why should they accept your funding before getting acquired.
- froo 18y agoI agree to some extent, but I still like to think integrity is a function of how you behave at all times, not just when it is advantageous. For example in the situation above - I perceive you as the kind of person who really believes what he writes and wants to help people get up and running. I mean, your essays date back before YC. So in my mind, advising this group during the acquisition offer, even if there was a chance you would miss out, is showing a true adherence to some kind of ethical/moral code. That's true integrity, in my opinion.
- netcan 18y agoMaybe the real test would be what would happen if you regularly lost your best applicants in an avoidable way.
- fleaflicker 18y agoYes it was admirable and I am forever grateful for the advice (if he's referring to me). But YC got something in return. PG is the only person outside my immediate family that knows the details of the negotiation.