6 ms·

Most founders tend to keep mum about bad experiences with Accelerators and investors (both Angels and VC's) out of fear that they will get blackballed. If you

Most founders tend to keep mum about bad experiences with Accelerators and investors (both Angels and VC's) out of fear that they will get blackballed. If you publicly complain, it highlights you as a trouble maker and someone to avoid for investments. edit: I forgot to mention the same can be said about complaining about co-founders in either failed startups or ones you have left. Investors take that as a bad sign as well.

valarauca1 12y ago
Luckily industry black listing was a major issue we already dealt within the late 1800's when it was common practice for local factories to share a black list of "trouble causing" employees so they literally could not work anywhere in town if they caused problems for a single companies, because that could potentially hurt anyone's bottom line. </sarcasm> I love how an industry that claims to be so enlightened and educated barely cracks a history book when money gets involved.
- bovermyer 12y ago
  Don't forget the Red Scare, where if a person was publicly even just accused of being a Communist they would be shunned in every facet of their life. America is still dealing with the aftershocks of that one.
- zo1 12y ago
  One man's sarcastic dismissal of a concept is another man's brilliant opportunity at filling a need.
  - valarauca1 12y ago
    Very true, except when laws of the land prohibit that practice the brilliance of the opportunity is questionable.
    - zo1 12y ago
      What laws of the land might you be referring to? I'm curious, as I'm at a loss of search-terms.
      - valarauca1 12y ago
        Black listing laws are handled at the state level not nationally which makes simply googling them a bit difficult as every state's legal code isn't uploaded and searchable (yet).
      - uiri 12y ago
        I think most US residents on HN live in a state where blacklisting is illegal. Washington state and New York have labour laws against blacklisting while California has a law against employers preventing previous employees from finding work. I wouldn't be surprised if most states had laws like New York, Washington or California. California Labor Code 1050-1053 may apply to blacklisting: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&group=01001-02000&file=1050-1057 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&gr... Revised Code of Washington, 49.44.010 explicitly lists blacklisting as a prohibited labor practice. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=49.44.010 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=49.44.010 NY Labor Law Section 704 lists blacklisting as an unfair labor practice. http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/LAWSSEAF.cgi?QUERYTYPE=LAWS+&QUERYDATA=$$LAB704$$@TXLAB0704+&LIST=LAW+&BROWSER=BROWSER+&TOKEN=53369305+&TARGET=VIEW http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/LAWSSEAF.cgi?QUERYTYPE=LAW...
ehurrell 12y ago
It seems to take all kinds. If the other party wants to blacklist you they'll usually find a reason to allow themselves to, though usually people are reasonable enough that things don't get that bad.

valarauca1 12y ago

Luckily industry black listing was a major issue we already dealt within the late 1800's when it was common practice for local factories to share a black list of "trouble causing" employees so they literally could not work anywhere in town if they caused problems for a single companies, because that could potentially hurt anyone's bottom line. </sarcasm> I love how an industry that claims to be so enlightened and educated barely cracks a history book when money gets involved.

bovermyer 12y ago
Don't forget the Red Scare, where if a person was publicly even just accused of being a Communist they would be shunned in every facet of their life. America is still dealing with the aftershocks of that one.
zo1 12y ago
One man's sarcastic dismissal of a concept is another man's brilliant opportunity at filling a need.
- valarauca1 12y ago
  Very true, except when laws of the land prohibit that practice the brilliance of the opportunity is questionable.
  - zo1 12y ago
    What laws of the land might you be referring to? I'm curious, as I'm at a loss of search-terms.
    - valarauca1 12y ago
      Black listing laws are handled at the state level not nationally which makes simply googling them a bit difficult as every state's legal code isn't uploaded and searchable (yet).
    - uiri 12y ago
      I think most US residents on HN live in a state where blacklisting is illegal. Washington state and New York have labour laws against blacklisting while California has a law against employers preventing previous employees from finding work. I wouldn't be surprised if most states had laws like New York, Washington or California. California Labor Code 1050-1053 may apply to blacklisting: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&group=01001-02000&file=1050-1057 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&gr... Revised Code of Washington, 49.44.010 explicitly lists blacklisting as a prohibited labor practice. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=49.44.010 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=49.44.010 NY Labor Law Section 704 lists blacklisting as an unfair labor practice. http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/LAWSSEAF.cgi?QUERYTYPE=LAWS+&QUERYDATA=$$LAB704$$@TXLAB0704+&LIST=LAW+&BROWSER=BROWSER+&TOKEN=53369305+&TARGET=VIEW http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/LAWSSEAF.cgi?QUERYTYPE=LAW...

ehurrell 12y ago

It seems to take all kinds. If the other party wants to blacklist you they'll usually find a reason to allow themselves to, though usually people are reasonable enough that things don't get that bad.