Live data from Hacker News

Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

jottit.com

181–190 of 201 posts

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we know the human brain doesn't work like that anyway. My life is, in almost all aspects, better than the vast majority of the people in the world, but that doesn't stop my brain from making me feel completely awful when something bad (relatively) happens. Your brain doesn't say 'well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water'.

> Your brain doesn't say 'well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water'. You should maybe look into getting a more compassionate brain.

In what way is your message to him helpful?

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we know the human brain doesn't work like that anyway. My life is, in almost all aspects, better than the vast majority of the people in the world, but that doesn't stop my brain from making me feel completely awful when something bad (relatively) happens. Your brain doesn't say 'well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water'.

> well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water I'm not sure whether it's my brain, or 'me' that's saying it, but this is pretty much what I tell myself every time something 'bad' happens to me. Works like a charm.

[deleted]

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we know the human brain doesn't work like that anyway. My life is, in almost all aspects, better than the vast majority of the people in the world, but that doesn't stop my brain from making me feel completely awful when something bad (relatively) happens. Your brain doesn't say 'well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water'.

> well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water I'm not sure whether it's my brain, or 'me' that's saying it, but this is pretty much what I tell myself every time something 'bad' happens to me. Works like a charm.

[deleted]

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we know the human brain doesn't work like that anyway. My life is, in almost all aspects, better than the vast majority of the people in the world, but that doesn't stop my brain from making me feel completely awful when something bad (relatively) happens. Your brain doesn't say 'well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water'.

> well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water I'm not sure whether it's my brain, or 'me' that's saying it, but this is pretty much what I tell myself every time something 'bad' happens to me. Works like a charm.

[deleted]

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we know the human brain doesn't work like that anyway. My life is, in almost all aspects, better than the vast majority of the people in the world, but that doesn't stop my brain from making me feel completely awful when something bad (relatively) happens. Your brain doesn't say 'well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water'.

> Your brain doesn't say 'well, you've been fired from the company you worked for for 5 years, but hey, at least you have fresh drinking water'. You should maybe look into getting a more compassionate brain.

That's ridiculous. You've never felt upset about a girl (or guy) , or because you lost your job, or just because you had a shitty day? You can probably rationalise it away as 'well people are worse off than me' but it likely doesn't make you feel a whole bunch better.

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#186
post #116
post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh the tears of sorrow the poor guy will shed into his heated swimming pool after being ejected from such a respectable business , with 200 million to his name... I don't think I have been this touched ever since Lassie died.

Lassie died?!

Maybe they meant Old Yeller.

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#187
post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, how dare people make money. Those bastards!

"Make" fine, but the post you responded to said they were a scam . Surely you don't imagine that any way one can make money is noble? On the off chance that you do, would you mind telling me where I could find you after dark with lots of cash on you and no firearm?

I think claiming Groupon is a scam is a pretty subjective statement.

And the answer to your question is never all three :)

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#188
post #156

Groupon fires an excellent CEO while Yahoo's new CEO is utterly impervious (for whatever reason) and is getting away with waging a holy war against engineers? What is going on? Can I expect the laws of physics suddenly to invert tomorrow?

I am not sure that Andrew Mason would be universally described by all as an "excellent CEO"...Groupon's financial performance suggests otherwise.

To blame a company's success or failure on 1 person is a ludicrous notion. All I've seen from the man indicates that he's a CEO I'd definitely like to work with and then have a beer after work with.

To take the failure of a company on your own shoulders in spite of it being a collective group failure or a fundamental failure of the business model is a heroic act. To be so publicly fired for something that arguably no person could have prevented is not something I'd want to experience.

OTOH, it's interesting to see how bad the downvoting on HN has become lately. Point out a CEO is good and another CEO is terrible, which seems to be in broad agreement with every other commenter, and get downvoted into oblivion. What's going on, guys?

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#189
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed - that's a really well written letter. (Though cynical-me wonders how much of it is heartfelt and honest, and how much of it is carefully engineered spin - crafted and chosen by a team of psychologists/marketers. About the only admirable thing about Groupon, at least to me, is their magnificent use of language to persuade and influence both buyers and sellers of Groupon deals.)

With Mason, I'm assuming phoniness at every turn: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5301302

I assume Mason answered that question about ten thousand times before at that point. If the person that asked that really asked it like that, then I have to say it was a poorly phrased, thoughtless question that no CEO would answer. He's hardly a phony for having answered it with a simple, "Yes." How would you actually expect him to have answered that? What's your ideal scenario there? "Nope. We're hosed. Everyone get out now." Would you have wanted to hear all of his strategies for how he was going to make it sustainable? So their competitors could preempt them? Perhaps if the question had been asked in a more thoughtful manner, he would have elaborated in greater detail.

Re: Andrew Mason's statement about being fired as Groupon CEO

#190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I meant I don't understand why Chrome forces this error with no bypass. Do we really need to be sniping?

Sorry if I offended, I was legitimately curious.

Ah, no worries.

Yep, Rails people have to understand and deal with SSL issues just like everyone else :)

Post reply on HN