I think this explains a lot about why corporate life (and this includes VC-istan) seems to lead to mediocrity in what is ultimately a trillion-dollar destructio

I think this explains a lot about why corporate life (and this includes VC-istan) seems to lead to mediocrity in what is ultimately a trillion-dollar destruction of human capital. When people start to associate work with endless subordination and minuscule reward, they're effectively conditioned for laziness (in the long term). They stop believing that anything is worth waiting more than 10 minutes for.