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McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

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Re: McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

#161
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many public figures who have met, dated, and married their colleagues. One that comes to mind is Jimmy Kimmel and his wife (head writer for his show). I think as long as it doesn't affect hiring/promoting/professional decisions it's a different situation. This is also assuming, of course, that there is no form of harassment going on.

Well it definitely has an affect, the only difference is everybody is either ok with it or indifferent to it. If all of a sudden Jimmy's wife starts being an asshole and gets fired then what? You don't think it would be handled differently if the head writer wasn't his wife? Just like this Facebook message thing. If she had been receptive to it, everybody is cool. But since she wasn't all of a sudden we've got the pi…

I mean there's also a couple other things that differentiates McClure's situation. He's also married. He seems to have accelerated the harassment immediately. Obviously I don't know the details, but it doesn't seem like he was just asking her out on a date. And if he did then clearly she wasn't receptive and he should have stopped. I think it's pretty easy to see that there's a clear violation on McClure's side.

Re: McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, they met as two professionals in the context of an open job position. Inappropriate move #1 was contacting the job applicant over FB, #2 was making a comment about whether or not to "hire" or "hit on" her. The fact that he places the chances of hiring her in relation to "hitting" on her is wildly inappropriate. If he wanted a relationship, there are infinitely better and more appropriate ways to go about it, esp…

> If he wanted a relationship, there are infinitely better and more appropriate ways to go about it, especially if he thought she might actually be interested. McClure aside, in general situation when during recruitment precess you meet someone you would like to date is there really a way to go about it that doesn't end badly? Message during recruitment is plain creepy. Asking them out after they are hired is bad for…

This isn't actually that complicated. There are seven billion people in the world, you choose one of the ones that you aren't professionally compromised with to date. Period.

Life is full of situations where you have to choose between two competing positive values. It's part of being an adult.

Re: McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

#164
post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, one simple heuristic is to wait for the party NOT in power to initiate the relationship. If this entrepreneur who got hit on had propositioned McClure instead, I don't think people would have minded that.

That's still a questionable situation. If a subordinate asks out a superior, how does the superior know if they're actually interested, or are just hoping for preferential treatment? And even beyond that, peers of the subordinate, once they find out about the relationship (and of course, they will find out), may be uncomfortable with a peer of theirs having the ability -- whether real or perceived -- to bend the boss…

Yes, it would be questionable, but not in the same sense as the situations being discussed here.

In general, workplace romance (even among 'equals') is fraught with these complications.

Re: McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes seriously. Are you implying that tremendously rich men (barring mental illnesses / crippling social anxiety) are dis advantaged with respect to dating? Or even that being tremendously rich is not a factor at all? If so, I'll have some of what you are smoking. The people under discussion are men(if you are objecting to the use of 'men' vs 'people'. I specifically used Kalanick and McClure as examples). This also a…

Being a billionaire definitely helps, but it's not really a massive advantage to be a multimillionaire. I have a few wealthy friends (single digit millionaires) who still struggle with dating.

Seriously? Why? Do they expect young supermodels to date them?

Re: McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

#166
post #134
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have seen questionable material come from him [1]: Examples: "Money Shot" with kitten spreadings its legs and "Great Products...Get you LAID". [1] https://www.slideshare.net/dmc500hats/how-to-pitch-a-vc-or-a... edit: link directly to slides and deleted nested comment.

Let's say we're talking about Chris Rock. There's a difference between him cracking jokes on a public stage and him directing these same sorts of jokes to a potential hire in a private conversation.

I don't really understand what you're trying to say.

Re: McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

#167
post #109
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have seen questionable material come from him [1]: Examples: "Money Shot" with kitten spreadings its legs and "Great Products...Get you LAID". [1] https://www.slideshare.net/dmc500hats/how-to-pitch-a-vc-or-a... edit: link directly to slides and deleted nested comment.

To be fair, the second slide directly says it is guaranteed to offend.

"heh, this is guaranteed to offend, but if you go out to dinner with me you'll definitely get this job!"

Re: McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

#168
post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let's say we're talking about Chris Rock. There's a difference between him cracking jokes on a public stage and him directing these same sorts of jokes to a potential hire in a private conversation.

I don't really understand what you're trying to say.

[deleted]

Re: McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, they met as two professionals in the context of an open job position. Inappropriate move #1 was contacting the job applicant over FB, #2 was making a comment about whether or not to "hire" or "hit on" her. The fact that he places the chances of hiring her in relation to "hitting" on her is wildly inappropriate. If he wanted a relationship, there are infinitely better and more appropriate ways to go about it, esp…

Someone else here mentioned that Bill Gates met Melinda (his wife) while she was working at Microsoft. Wouldn't this mean their relationship shouldn't have happened/is wrong?

As the OP pointed out, one of the big differences is that Bill Gates never said "go out with me or I'll fire you", whereas McClure clearly indicated he was choosing between hiring and hitting on.

Who knows exactly what it was like for Bill ans Melinda. It isn't difficult to pick up on social cues of someone illustrating a mutual interest in you before you outwardly hit on them. It's also not difficult to respectfully ask them if they would like to get a drink, in a personal context. There's no evidence McClure did either.

Re: McClure steps back at 500Startups after internal sexual misconduct investigation

#170
post #2

The one person that I would have never suspected is Dave McClure. Here's a guy who didn't fit the investment world and he was smart and hustled his way in. He started 500 startups with a female co-founder and said he chose her because she was smarter. He saw an opening for himself and talked about playing Moneyball for venture capital. He spoke often in interviews about chasing investments among founders who didn't f…

A lot of that stuff is just virtue signalling. You don't actually have to believe in any of it to become its champion. That's what's wrong with a lot of stuff in the world, there are lots of champions of stuff that don't really practice what they preach, it's an easy way to claim leadership.
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