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What I loved about Paul Allen
111–120 of 122 posts
Re: What I loved about Paul Allen
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
Perhaps, once they’d reflected on it, they decided it wasn’t fair, just like you have. It seems as though a few here want to demonise Ballmer and Gates for something they ultimately didn’t do. So they had a conversation about it.
You don't think that to have a conversation about maybe doing something blatantly evil, instead of dismissing it out of hand, reflects poorly on someone's character even if the conclusion of that conversation is not to do the evil thing?
Not partituclarly. Evil is planning mass genocide and executing it. Besides, why judge when we only have one side of the story? Demonising people for having thoughts or discussing actions that you personally find distasteful is tyrannical and repressive.
Re: What I loved about Paul Allen
#113Does everyone know the story about why Paul left Microsoft? That when he told Gates and Ballmer about the cancer, in the early days, they immediately went in the other room to talk about how to divvy up Paul's shares in the company and Paul overheard them?
Don't read any of the more recent happy articles. Search for articles and books from the early days when the real truth was printed.
Re: What I loved about Paul Allen
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you ever go into business with a friend, you should anticipate the worst. They're only human. You have to be on your toes from the start, and you can only blame yourself if you get beat or blindsided. At that point, its irrelevant to your friendship. It was just business.
I mean, if I’m in a business with my friend and he hasn’t been working on said business for 2 years, even though he has a bunch of equity, I’d also start to think about maybe making that situation a bit more fair. Probably not without them involved, but you can at least discuss the possibility at some point.
Isn't that what salaries are for?
Re: What I loved about Paul Allen
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
I hope your friends read this! Sounds like you value money - just business - incomparably more than friendship. Why?!
> Why?! "I had some money and a friend. I lent my money to my friend. I lost my money... and my friend."
He's not talking about lending money. He is talking about a friend and business partner cutting you short out of your equity because you happen to be ill.
If your partner is not working, or working less, get the board to grant you a bonus, or an increase in your salary, or a decrease in his salary.
Re: What I loved about Paul Allen
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes it matters. It says a lot about someone that they would even entertain the idea of cheating their cancer ridden friend.
Perhaps, once they’d reflected on it, they decided it wasn’t fair, just like you have. It seems as though a few here want to demonise Ballmer and Gates for something they ultimately didn’t do. So they had a conversation about it.
later reflected on it?
Like, they were talking about it, but didn't realize what they were talking about? They just realize about it later?
Look, I agree that we all do shitty things in life. And, most of the times, we know that we are doing shitty things when we are doing them. No excuse, just bad human behavior. Everybody does it. And it is despicable.
Re: What I loved about Paul Allen
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
You don't think that to have a conversation about maybe doing something blatantly evil, instead of dismissing it out of hand, reflects poorly on someone's character even if the conclusion of that conversation is not to do the evil thing?
Not partituclarly. Evil is planning mass genocide and executing it. Besides, why judge when we only have one side of the story? Demonising people for having thoughts or discussing actions that you personally find distasteful is tyrannical and repressive.
Demonizing != distaste for cheating a friend. There is no both sides to this story. Gates and Ballmer didn't argue against Allen's telling of the story. Can you even name a hypothetical scenario where its ok to be annoyed that your cancer-ridden friend isn't contributing what he used to?
Re: What I loved about Paul Allen
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks. Did we ever hear Gates’ side of the story? I can imagine there could be good reason to dilute someone by issuing more stock to the remaining productive collaborators. That would depend on the scale, and method used to calculate the proportion, and of on obtaining consent from the diluted party.
@DenisM: “I can imagine there could be good reason to dilute someone” .. Cutting a business partner out of his fair share while he's in the middle of battling a life threatening disease, a good reason. I guess you went to the same school of ethics as Gates :]
This happens every year, and in every single company that you know of. People who remain employed are given retention grants, diluting the people who are no longer employed and receive no such grants. Do you think that's unethical?
Re: What I loved about Paul Allen
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Why?! "I had some money and a friend. I lent my money to my friend. I lost my money... and my friend."
He's not talking about lending money. He is talking about a friend and business partner cutting you short out of your equity because you happen to be ill. If your partner is not working, or working less, get the board to grant you a bonus, or an increase in your salary, or a decrease in his salary.
The point holds. When you have a friendship and then you add a business relationship on top, damage to either damages both.
Re: What I loved about Paul Allen
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not partituclarly. Evil is planning mass genocide and executing it. Besides, why judge when we only have one side of the story? Demonising people for having thoughts or discussing actions that you personally find distasteful is tyrannical and repressive.
Demonizing != distaste for cheating a friend. There is no both sides to this story. Gates and Ballmer didn't argue against Allen's telling of the story. Can you even name a hypothetical scenario where its ok to be annoyed that your cancer-ridden friend isn't contributing what he used to?
Wow. Were life as simple as you see it...
And what does "Demonizing != distaste for cheating a friend." even mean? You are attempting to defame Gates and Ballmer because of an uncomfortable conversation that they had 30+ years ago that they ultimately didn't act on! So no, they weren't evil. Cold, perhaps for having the conversation. I'd actually argue that they are merely human, just like the rest of us; wonderfully imperfect.