The End of My VC Career • Hacker News Board

Re: The End of My VC Career

#11

Post by eropple » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:19 PM UTC

DataWorker wrote: post #8

wilde wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The legal system hasn’t been effective in many of these cases. Hell, some dude raped a chick with multiple eye witnesses at Stanford and only got 6months jail time. Additionally, the folks abusing people have used career pressure to keep folks from going to the legal system in the first place. (see Weinstein). If the abusers can use this pressure, I see no reason why victims shouldn’t respond in kind.

It’s hard to argue against this but the reality is that you’re advocating vigilantism. That has its own downsides and the wisdom of crowds leads to witch trials so there is a trade off to consider.

Unequivocally no, he's not arguing for vigilantism. Words mean things and "social opprobrium" does not equate to "vigilantism." There is a distinction and a difference and it borders on mendacious (when not outrightly malicious) to conflate them.

Re: The End of My VC Career

#12

Post by dragonwriter » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:19 PM UTC

amorphid wrote: post #9

whataretensors wrote: post #2

Am I the only one who doesn't care about anybody's sexual past? Let a comedian be judged on comedy. Let a VC be judged on investments. For everything else there's the law. No reason to set up an extra judicial system based primarily on media headlines.

I live in California, and I avoid searching our state's sex offender database. [1] If there's someone in my life that is a registered sex offender, I don't want to know about it. I just don't like fishing for reasons to not like someone. One thing I find very odd about the disclaimer [2] on California sex offender's site in general is this text in the site's disclaimer... Penalty for Registered Sex Offenders Who Ente…

> Why bother making it be illegal for a registered sex offender to search the database?

The stated rationale was to prevent it being a social networking service for habitual sex offenders to find people inclined to collaborate with them on further sex offenses. (Of course, it can still serve the same purpose for current or aspiring sex offenders who haven't been caught yet to network with those who have.)

Re: The End of My VC Career

#13

Post by gervase » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:21 PM UTC

amorphid wrote: post #9

whataretensors wrote: post #2

Am I the only one who doesn't care about anybody's sexual past? Let a comedian be judged on comedy. Let a VC be judged on investments. For everything else there's the law. No reason to set up an extra judicial system based primarily on media headlines.

I live in California, and I avoid searching our state's sex offender database. [1] If there's someone in my life that is a registered sex offender, I don't want to know about it. I just don't like fishing for reasons to not like someone. One thing I find very odd about the disclaimer [2] on California sex offender's site in general is this text in the site's disclaimer... Penalty for Registered Sex Offenders Who Ente…

> Why bother making it be illegal for a registered sex offender to search the database?

Unfortunately, it seems to be based on an intention to prevent its use as a "social network" of sorts, which could potentially lead to higher re-offense rates.

Re: The End of My VC Career

#14

Post by jforman » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:22 PM UTC

whataretensors wrote: post #2

Am I the only one who doesn't care about anybody's sexual past? Let a comedian be judged on comedy. Let a VC be judged on investments. For everything else there's the law. No reason to set up an extra judicial system based primarily on media headlines.

If instead of worrying about their "sexual past," how about worrying about their "past abuse of women"? Because that is absolutely relevant to job performance as a VC.

Re: The End of My VC Career

#15

Post by Retric » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:24 PM UTC

eropple wrote: post #11

DataWorker wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s hard to argue against this but the reality is that you’re advocating vigilantism. That has its own downsides and the wisdom of crowds leads to witch trials so there is a trade off to consider.

Unequivocally no , he's not arguing for vigilantism. Words mean things and "social opprobrium" does not equate to "vigilantism." There is a distinction and a difference and it borders on mendacious (when not outrightly malicious) to conflate them.

What in your mind separates a linch mob forming when someone gets out of prison an this? As far as I can tell it's identical behavior and they both fall under vigilantism.

Re: The End of My VC Career

#16

Post by outside2344 » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:25 PM UTC

whataretensors wrote: post #2

Am I the only one who doesn't care about anybody's sexual past? Let a comedian be judged on comedy. Let a VC be judged on investments. For everything else there's the law. No reason to set up an extra judicial system based primarily on media headlines.

I agree with you that someone's consensual sexual past shouldn't matter.

But this is not someone's sexual past, it is assault on another human being, and yes, criminal records should matter.

Re: The End of My VC Career

#17

Post by draw_down » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:26 PM UTC

Actions have consequences.

Re: The End of My VC Career

#18

Post by leggomylibro » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:27 PM UTC

This is a complex topic, but it seems like there are a couple of questions about the character of people who work in executive roles which should fundamentally matter in due diligence discussions.

Do they implicitly respect the agency of others? Do they see people as individuals with their own goals and the fundamental right to decide what those goals are?

These people make a lot of decisions on behalf of others, and I believe that asking those questions isn't that far off from asking: can you trust them to act in the interests of their employees, clients, and customers? Or at the very least, are they likely to have some sense of fiduciary duty towards the people who they agree to perform work for?

So, from my perspective, "a private mistake which we all agree was not business-related" sounds...well I don't know the right word, but who is 'we' in that phrase?

And I don't know which institutional investor balked at the fund based on the perceived character of its decision-makers, but I appreciate that they considered that angle in their process.

Re: The End of My VC Career

#19

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:28 PM UTC

jforman wrote: post #14

whataretensors wrote: post #2

Am I the only one who doesn't care about anybody's sexual past? Let a comedian be judged on comedy. Let a VC be judged on investments. For everything else there's the law. No reason to set up an extra judicial system based primarily on media headlines.

If instead of worrying about their "sexual past," how about worrying about their "past abuse of women"? Because that is absolutely relevant to job performance as a VC.

[deleted]

Re: The End of My VC Career

#20

Post by tptacek » Wed, Apr 18, 2018, 6:30 PM UTC

There's not much of interest in this story. Glaenzer was caught, by police witnesses, sexually assaulting a woman in a London train. He was convicted. He retained his role at the VC firm he cofounded for several years, but discovered that institutional investors --- the people who fund VC funds --- were unwilling to allocate capital to a firm that included Glaenzer. He left the firm.

The job of a VC partner is about trust, judgement, and persuasion. Flagrant violations by partners redound to the reputation of the whole firm. When you understand just what it is a VC firm is, how they're essentially middlemen simultaneously pitching themselves to operators and to capital, it becomes clear how important reputation is. Really, it's all there is. Without it, you can't do the job.