Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#1

Post by snoop_a_loop » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 2:30 AM UTC

Throw away account. I have a startup in San Francisco, and smoking weed actually is quite therapeutic. It is an outlet for stress and the never-ending wall of burden. Development and startups are evolving so fast, and it often feels like you are never adequate. You always need to be learning and using X new language or technology. My startup is the hardest thing I've done so far in my life.

The culture of San Francisco also is heavily accepting, even promoting of smoking marijuana. Often times it feels like some of the best hackers I know smoke on a regular basis.

However, there are noticeable side-effects. Some short term memory loss, sometimes I find it difficult to stay focused, on-task, and motivated. On the flip side, I do some of my best hacking high. I'm able to focus on a single problem; become tunnel vision. Problems just become simpler.

Thoughts? Can, and should a startup founder, as a leader, and public face of a company smoke? Can you be an amazing hacker smoking consistently?

Re: Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#2

Post by dasht » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 2:42 AM UTC

I think it is still taboo among most VC's and angels. Founders are supposed to be cookie-cutter stereotypes who fit a pre-established program. Your personality / public face can be "challenging" but not challenging, if you know what I mean.

Re: Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#3

Post by snoop_a_loop » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 2:47 AM UTC

dasht wrote: post #2

I think it is still taboo among most VC's and angels. Founders are supposed to be cookie-cutter stereotypes who fit a pre-established program. Your personality / public face can be "challenging" but not challenging, if you know what I mean.

Everybody accepts drinking coffee or caffeine, but its clearly "performance" improving. There is even a culture of providing adderall to employees if they want. Do investors frown upon those activities?

Re: Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#4

Post by orasis » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 2:56 AM UTC

Your crutch is not an asset.

Re: Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#5

Post by kranner » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 2:58 AM UTC

If anything affected my short term memory adversely, I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

Re: Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#6

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 3:02 AM UTC

kranner wrote: post #5

If anything affected my short term memory adversely, I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

[deleted]

Re: Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#7

Post by jmcgough » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 3:19 AM UTC

I don't use anything except coffee, but I know some extremely talented coders who smoke (outside of work) to help with stress/anxiety/focus. It's probably something you have to evaluate for yourself, as it affects everyone differently. If it's helpful to you and improves productivity, I don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as the benefits outweigh the negatives. Maybe try tweaking how much or how frequent you smoke to see if you can reduce the side effects.

Btw, I've known founders who smoke. The only people who might care in SF are more conservative VCs etc.

Re: Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#8

Post by bdcravens » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 3:23 AM UTC

The culture of San Francisco also is heavily accepting, even promoting of smoking marijuana.

Your startup is in SF, so this is probably relevant, but there's absolutely nothing that requires a startup to be in SF. It can be in Austin, Brussels, Sydney, Fargo, or Bangalore. If you feel that local culture acceptance is a reason for, then you've already answered the question if you start up in a locale where it isn't.

Re: Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#9

Post by bdcravens » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 3:24 AM UTC

orasis wrote: post #4

Your crutch is not an asset.

Ditto on reliance on caffeine.

Re: Ask PG: Does smoking marijuana affect the ability to hack and run a startup?

#10

Post by dasht » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 3:26 AM UTC

snoop_a_loop wrote: post #3

dasht wrote: post #2

I think it is still taboo among most VC's and angels. Founders are supposed to be cookie-cutter stereotypes who fit a pre-established program. Your personality / public face can be "challenging" but not challenging, if you know what I mean.

Everybody accepts drinking coffee or caffeine, but its clearly "performance" improving. There is even a culture of providing adderall to employees if they want. Do investors frown upon those activities?

Employers turning a blind-eye to intra-company dealing / distribution is not at all a new thing but I don't think that was the poster's question. I think the poster was talking about open-ness and public face. Again, for VCs and such -- and although that crowd will sometimes deny this -- founders are supposed to be cookie cutter stereotypes.

An openly pot-head founder risks offending or scaring customers or buyers or later investors. It also indicates some who doesn't get the "performative" aspect of being a commodity founder: the expected degree of conformative role playing.