Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A Reminder To Investors

blog.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 290 posts

Re: A Reminder To Investors

#11

Post by minimaxir »

tuneladora wrote: post #5

I perfectly understand intolerance towards sexual harassment but I wonder what qualifies as "inappropriate romantic behavior" in this context. You can not ask a founder "on a date"? What's if is the other way around? EDIT: of course this is coming from a nobody. I'm just curious.

In either case, it's inappropriate. Professionally, it creates a major conflict of interest. Personally, it create a power dynamic where the founder may be indebted to the founder and facilitate unethical interaction.

Re: A Reminder To Investors

#12

Post by DrJokepu »

tuneladora wrote: post #5

I perfectly understand intolerance towards sexual harassment but I wonder what qualifies as "inappropriate romantic behavior" in this context. You can not ask a founder "on a date"? What's if is the other way around? EDIT: of course this is coming from a nobody. I'm just curious.

You definitely cannot ask out a founder on a date.

Re: A Reminder To Investors

#14

Post by mrkurt »

tuneladora wrote: post #5

I perfectly understand intolerance towards sexual harassment but I wonder what qualifies as "inappropriate romantic behavior" in this context. You can not ask a founder "on a date"? What's if is the other way around? EDIT: of course this is coming from a nobody. I'm just curious.

Any kind of romantic behavior is probably inappropriate, due to the power/incentive imbalance. A founder is trying to get money, an investor has money, and romantic overtures are really difficult to separate from the "getting money" problem.

Re: A Reminder To Investors

#16

Post by arcatek »

tuneladora wrote: post #5

I perfectly understand intolerance towards sexual harassment but I wonder what qualifies as "inappropriate romantic behavior" in this context. You can not ask a founder "on a date"? What's if is the other way around? EDIT: of course this is coming from a nobody. I'm just curious.

I guess it would be equally awkward. In such a case, the people involved should at least wait until there is no more professional connection between them.

Furthermore, from a business standpoint, it's understandable that YCombinator doesn't want this kind of thing. It seems very dangerous for the company, without any advantage.

Re: A Reminder To Investors

#17

Post by minimaxir »

Kluny wrote: post #7
tuneladora wrote: post #5

I perfectly understand intolerance towards sexual harassment but I wonder what qualifies as "inappropriate romantic behavior" in this context. You can not ask a founder "on a date"? What's if is the other way around? EDIT: of course this is coming from a nobody. I'm just curious.

You wait until after demo day and the conflict of interest has cleared, before asking someone on a date. It's not that tough.

There's still a conflict of interest, even after Demo Day.

Re: A Reminder To Investors

#18

Post by untog »

falsestprophet wrote: post #6

She hasn't made the point "explicit" (stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt [1]), because it isn't clear what "inappropriate" means. edit: Using the word "inappropriate" makes the statement ambiguous because it states there is some sexual or romantic behavior that is "appropriate" (suitable or proper in the circumstances) [2]. If the intent here is to state that sexual or romantic behav…

Demo Day is a business context. If you are an investor talking to the founder of a YC startup, it's a business conversation. There shouldn't be any hint of romance, dates, flirting.

Explicit enough for you?

Post reply on HN