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Is it ever acceptable for an investor to pursue a romantic relationship with a founder? After the founder is funded (by another investor), for example. Or if th

by swombat 12y ago

Is it ever acceptable for an investor to pursue a romantic relationship with a founder? After the founder is funded (by another investor), for example. Or if the founder initiates? As a founder and MD of a company, quite simply, the answer is a bold NO. Most of the opposite gender population is outside your company (or pool of possible investments). If you feel the urge, fish there, not in the tiny pond which you have a weird power relationship with. Getting romantically involved with people inside your company or which you're considering for investment is reprehensibly bad judgement as an owner or anyone in a position of authority and should obviously look like a Really Bad Idea (tm) to you if you are in that position of authority. It's a bit like the old "should a teacher date a student" chestnut. Whether or not the student "initiates" is irrelevant. Just stay away from it, it's a terrible idea. If the founder/student "initiates", then they are the one acting inappropriately, and your thought should not be "hmm, maybe I should go along", it should be "oh shit, this could be a big problem, how do I get out of this tactfully?"

avalaunch 12y ago
While most of the opposite gender population is outside your company (or pool of possible investments), most the opposite gender population that you interact with on a regular basis is likely not. That's not to say I disagree with you on your overall point. I just found that argument to be a little too dismissive of the reason one might be dating within their company or pool of possible investments.
- swombat 12y ago
  Irrespective of that, it's still a terrible idea to be dating in that pool. If we're talking about a 50'000 people company, than maybe it's ok so long as there's no direct business relationship, but if you're the MD of a small company you should simply not entertain dating people within that company. Just the potential for a sexual harassment lawsuit by itself should be enough to stop anything in its tracks - let alone the moral and ethical implications.

by swombat 12y ago

avalaunch 12y ago

While most of the opposite gender population is outside your company (or pool of possible investments), most the opposite gender population that you interact with on a regular basis is likely not. That's not to say I disagree with you on your overall point. I just found that argument to be a little too dismissive of the reason one might be dating within their company or pool of possible investments.

swombat 12y ago
Irrespective of that, it's still a terrible idea to be dating in that pool. If we're talking about a 50'000 people company, than maybe it's ok so long as there's no direct business relationship, but if you're the MD of a small company you should simply not entertain dating people within that company. Just the potential for a sexual harassment lawsuit by itself should be enough to stop anything in its tracks - let alone the moral and ethical implications.