VC isn't VC anymore • Hacker News Board

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#201

Post by specialist » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 12:45 AM UTC

unknownfuture wrote: post #179

jaggederest wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're poking at SOX and Dodd-Frank I think, but it's a bit of a specious argument, in my opinion the rise of massive private equity (plus the absurd market orientation around short term results) is more of the story, as you say.

And further, if the goal is to eliminate regulatory frictions in public markets that keep companies staying private, then you're effectively advocating for eliminating public markets. The entire damn deal we make when a company goes public is that the company can raise money from a much broader, potentially less sophisticated investor base that don't have to be accredited, etc, and in exchange there are more stringen…

Regulations is a scary word for rules.

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#202

Post by kingkandu » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 1:08 AM UTC

The 2 groups getting fucked with the stay private longer trend are the LPs and the startup employees.

We should insist on public policy forcing public money into only public assets. It's the obvious sensible rule.

And company safes need to start including a clause where all classes of vested equity are offered buyouts in equal proportions. So VCs can't keep paying founders/each other on the way up while zeroing out common stock and eventually selling company IP for around the liquidity preference to some "totally unrelated" entity. Realistically this will only happen if YC gets onboard but I doubt Garry tan is the guy who can show this kind of spine.

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#203

Post by layla5alive » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:03 AM UTC

pixl97 wrote: post #67

Henchman21 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Y'all need ethics is what ya need.

Ethics are always forced. In a society that does not force ethics in one way or another they will cease to exist.

Ethics come directly from first principles.

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#204

Post by claytongulick » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:48 AM UTC

estearum wrote: post #193

cyberax wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, we are working with responsible VCs: endowments and large well-established companies in the field. It's as if the whole industry is suffering from a high fever. This is purely my personal vibe, perhaps others might chime in with their subjective opinions.

Also a founder raising currently and big +1. VCs are off their fucking rockers. Mad FOMO, listening to, believing, and benchmarking against actual liars (both obvious and non-obvious).

Is it different than the crypto days?

I was part of a couple raises back then and I remember every founder was being forced to find some blockchain application, no matter how inappropriate, to get any attention from the fad-tech VCs

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#205

Post by otterley » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 3:48 AM UTC

slowin wrote: post #127

bix6 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. Ethics is at the forefront of everything I do both personally and professionally. I used to serve on an ethics in business council. All the investments we make are grounded in genuinely improving the world. It’s unfortunate that so much money flows to certain VC firms when people like me exist since I reckon I’m much more aligned with what the general population wants.

I'm someone in the startup space that's sworn off raising capital and talks to a lot of founders. I can say that if you're willing to take an anti-Zionist position, you will get incredible deal flow from frustrated founders and definitely make your own lane. I know how difficult that is in this space though.

Why is anti-Zionism necessary if your business fundamentals are strong?

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#206

Post by vivzkestrel » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 4:02 AM UTC

- you need 2 hands to clap, dont want a data center i ll give you a plan

- stop using claude

- stop using open AI

- guess what happens?

- user base drops to 0

- demand drops to 0

- both companies go bankrupt

- no need for data centers anymore? see its that simple

- in the first step, convince all the HN guys to cancel their subscriptions

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#207

Post by slowin » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 4:16 AM UTC

otterley wrote: post #205

slowin wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm someone in the startup space that's sworn off raising capital and talks to a lot of founders. I can say that if you're willing to take an anti-Zionist position, you will get incredible deal flow from frustrated founders and definitely make your own lane. I know how difficult that is in this space though.

Why is anti-Zionism necessary if your business fundamentals are strong?

Some of us care about the ethics of those we work with. Being a Zionist is also a brand risk. Just look at Vercel when their CEO met with Netanyahu. Many people canceled their accounts and now will never use Vercel. Mainly I don't want to work with people who are enthusiastic about committing genocide, as so many VCs are.

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#208

Post by alexashka » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 4:40 AM UTC

anildash wrote: post #197

alexashka wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that supposed to work? When you get caught stealing candy, saying 'look, he stole more than me!' doesn't work. Were you raised in a human society? I thought people learned these things when they were 7.

If you’re arguing he and I are the same thing, though he’s a VC and spends his time being a podcaster who advocates for the venture industry, and I’m someone who is talking about how power actually works in society, I proposed an easy test of your assertion. Let me know what results you find.

> and I’m someone who is talking about how power actually works in society

He also does this. That's... the entire point of the comparison.

Nice try. Shall we continue to where I start copy/pasting an LLM explaining it to you until you can't pretend to not understand any longer and move on to some other bad faith tactic? I want to see your most advanced bad faith attempt - deflection and playing dumb are for juniors. Show me something good.

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#209

Post by ozozozd » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 4:56 AM UTC

Man, this guy’s writing must be at a peak.

It was already great when I first read it ~10 years ago. And his linked post about VCs writing extremist manifestos from 2023 is arguably better than this one. But this post is amazing as well.

I wonder how many iterations it takes to remove all the extra words and reach this 0% fat state.

Both articles also brought me to a peak / cliff hanger type of place. The post from 2023 doesn’t even have a follow up!

Though I didn’t like the repetition of the phrase (“cancer capital”) he clearly wants to coin. It’s Trump-like. More importantly, it’s the kind of thing simpletons do. Or people who think of their audience as simpletons.

Re: VC isn't VC anymore

#210

Post by ozozozd » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 5:13 AM UTC

rconti wrote: post #61

I was thinking about this the other day in regard to Flock. There's simply no way this company will fail, despite the public outcry, because the rich people in charge will not _let_ it fail.

Sure it can.

We frequently forget “the system” that protects these actors consist of our respect for rule of law and compliance and the enforcement of the laws.

If the cops stop enforcing, and we stop complying, what would protect them?