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The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

businessinsider.com

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Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#21

Post by adhd »

There is little information in this story that has not been reported elsewhere. PandoDaily has done a thorough job of covering the death of Jody and ecomom in a thoughtful and factual manner. Except for a light spattering of additional financial numbers, not much of this is revelatory.

And the section on Guatemala is just trash. It culminates in an unsubstantiated and innuendo-laden tale, with none other than John McAffee as the sole source. Seriously? Please. (FYI the source who confirmed the meeting doesn't count. Anyone who knew Jody at the time would have heard about that.)

To the central point: It is good to talk about the importance of honesty and dealing with the stress of a start-up. By all means, let's open up the conversation again. But articles with such innuendo (no evidence, mind you) -- suggestions of sinister business activities and a Central American fraud scheme -- don't help that conversation. It makes Jody's experience seem distant and unrelatable.

Essentially, I fear that an article like this hurts the open conversation because of how crazy the story sounds. An unusual story allows the listeners to reject the valuable truths therein contained.

The reality was a lot less mythic and far more heart-breaking.

Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#22

Post by fuzzix »

noahth wrote: post #15

Stopped reading at the speculation that marijuana may have contributed to his suicide. The fuck???

I don't smoke it - it makes me introspective, paranoid and miserable.

I also laugh like a jackass at George Carlin and get the munchies, but the other stuff happens too.

Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#23

Post by adhd »

johnpowell wrote: post #10

If true.. >One childhood friend recalled a time when Sherman committed insurance fraud. He described driving on a highway with Sherman when they were 16. Suddenly, Sherman told his friend to "buckle up." He slammed on the brakes and caused an accident. Later, the friend says, Sherman would collect thousands of dollars from insurance companies for the self-inflicted injuries. Fuck the dude.

The original story was told by his best friend at Jody's memorial, in a lighthearted way. And it happened when he was a teenager. I'm a little shocked that the writer used this as evidence of fraud.

Of course, the same friend told a story about Jody giving boxes and boxes of clothing to homeless people during Christmas. Yet this tale didn't make the cut.

Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#24

Post by beryllium »

fuzzix wrote: post #22
noahth wrote: post #15

Stopped reading at the speculation that marijuana may have contributed to his suicide. The fuck???

I don't smoke it - it makes me introspective, paranoid and miserable. I also laugh like a jackass at George Carlin and get the munchies, but the other stuff happens too.

I don't need marijuana for any of those things. Lucky me?

Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#25

Post by chris_wot »

I'm so totally conflicted here. I feel so awfully sorry that he committed suicide, and heavens only knows all the complicated reasons behind why he took his own life. From this account, he seems to have been charismatic, but self-delusional.

I only say this because I know someone who seems to be exactly like this. They don't seem to care about being in debt, and they justify themselves for not paying people for their services. They are always positive, but always spinning everything. They don't tell the truth. In short: they are dangerous to be around if you rely on them for any sort of living.

Because I was so badly burned by this particular individual, I'll not be spending any time around those who talk up big and who have a bad track record of paying down debt in a reasonable timeframe. It's as simple as that.

Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#26

Post by chris_wot »

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #18

Before you downvote please take into consideration that I'm just being realistic. Of course you should seek help and calm your mind back into a logical state. Still about 1 million people commit suicide each year. You and I are not going to change that. If you're seriously going to kill yourself, please do NOT use a gun or pills or jumping or cutting wrists or arteries. It's bad enough you've chosen to and finalized…

Exit bags? In other words, it's to make suicide more palatable.

I'm sure it has good intentions, but as they say: the road to hell is full of good intentions.

Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#27

Post by chris_wot »

chris_wot wrote: post #26
ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #18

Before you downvote please take into consideration that I'm just being realistic. Of course you should seek help and calm your mind back into a logical state. Still about 1 million people commit suicide each year. You and I are not going to change that. If you're seriously going to kill yourself, please do NOT use a gun or pills or jumping or cutting wrists or arteries. It's bad enough you've chosen to and finalized…

Exit bags? In other words, it's to make suicide more palatable. I'm sure it has good intentions, but as they say: the road to hell is full of good intentions.

Oh that's right. Downvote something you don't like to read. My comment is no more objectionable than the one talking about Exit Bags - devices to enable suicide.

Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#28

Post by rdl »

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #18

Before you downvote please take into consideration that I'm just being realistic. Of course you should seek help and calm your mind back into a logical state. Still about 1 million people commit suicide each year. You and I are not going to change that. If you're seriously going to kill yourself, please do NOT use a gun or pills or jumping or cutting wrists or arteries. It's bad enough you've chosen to and finalized…

The cheerful music in that youtube video is kind of surreal. And gives me even weirder "suggested videos now" -- YC stuff, cats, MrColionNoir, and now strange European euthanasia charities.

Nitrous Oxide > He, really, though. (I'm against state executions, but if I were going to support them, the method should be N2O asphyxiation). I did wonder in reading that article what happened to his car afterward; I hate washing blood/brain matter out of cars (have done it a few times...). I assume his wife wouldn't want to keep it.

I think talking about the messy physical and social/emotional aftermath of suicide IS a good thing, because it might deter people from doing it.

Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#29

Post by cristianpascu »

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #18

Before you downvote please take into consideration that I'm just being realistic. Of course you should seek help and calm your mind back into a logical state. Still about 1 million people commit suicide each year. You and I are not going to change that. If you're seriously going to kill yourself, please do NOT use a gun or pills or jumping or cutting wrists or arteries. It's bad enough you've chosen to and finalized…

Left the Earth peacefully and calmly to where?

Just keeping it realistically mysterious. Cause we don't know. For sure. It could be one, it could be another. Metaphysically, we can't deny the possibility of anything out there.

Re: The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide

#30

Post by rdl »

mgkimsal wrote: post #4
dmor wrote: post #2

It really pisses me off that they are publishing this - the news of Jody's death devastated a lot of people and I don't see what new information is being reported here. The Guatemala story is hearsay. This makes me so angry.

How is it hearsay any more so than quotes from McClure and others? McAfee was quoted about their discussion, and Jody clearly went there - shouldn't be any dispute about that. Why does this 'piss you off'? Seemed entirely reasonable to me. EDIT: Perhaps you don't see any 'new' information here, but a lot of this was news to me. A great many more of us live outside the bubble that is the few square miles on the planet…

The issue with statements from John McAfee is that the term "pathological liar" would be an understatement. DMC, on the other hand, or really most other people in tech, are generally fairly reasonable sources for things where they have no particular reason to lie. McAfee makes weev look transparent.
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