13 ms·

The YC Deadline Brings Out Stupid Decisions in Another Applicant Team

12 points by ahsonwardak 19y ago

breck 19y ago
I'd like to hear the story from your partner's point of view. Could you please send me his name, email address, phone number, coding background and resume?
brett 19y ago
Since when is trying to recruit talented people stupid?
- rms 19y ago
  It was ill considered in that they didn't consider the enormous impact the loss of a partner would have on the original poster.
  - brett 19y ago
    I'll concede that my question over simplifies the issue: Burning bridges is bad, you can definitely be stupid about how you try to recruit talent ... But whenever someone comes to work with/for you they're likely precluded for working for/with someone else. Sure there could be reasons not to try and poach someone, but in general I don't think you are responsible for the person/company left behind.
chaostheory 19y ago
seeing the words "unethical", "poaching", and "boneheaded" in ahsonwardak's post; it's interesting to note that ahsonwardak is currently living in Washington DC...
dfranke 19y ago
I don't see why you think it's unethical for them to try to poach your partner. It's not like he's some helpless pawn in this game, especially if he's as smart as you say he is. If I thought I had a chance at getting one of my competitor's best people to come work for me instead, I'd jump on it in an instant.
- pius 19y ago
  Haha, I'm curious who this is about since I know the OP. Anyway, I think it's a poorly executed attempt at being unethical. If you had a friendship with the person who tried to poach, that person should have realized that he was going to dagger your relationship by trying to steal your partner without even pitching an idea. Given that your partner is very tight with you (and apparently barely knows the poacher), obviously the incident was going to get back to you . . . one would have expected that the poacher would have tried to partner with you guys or, at the very least, have made a damn compelling argument for why your partner would ditch you. If you're gonna be shady, you've gotta be strategic about it at least. LOL
- ahsonwardak 19y ago
  Fine, it's not unethical, but it's stupid. Did they think they had a shot after one run-in at a bar? Would you join another team after running into them at a bar with no knowledge of their idea?
  - rms 19y ago
    I think you're being overly emotional here, they didn't think their offer through. Which makes it stupid, not malicious.
  - dfranke 19y ago
    What are you saying is stupid? Wanting him, or thinking they could get him? If you all went to undergrad together, then it's possible they know more about his talent than either of you realize. I certainly have classmates who didn't know me very well, who, while I wouldn't take them as the other half of a two-man team, I would take them as a third or fourth man give that I already had one committed partner. And while their chances at success may have been slim, it's not like the attempt required much of an investment.
    - ahsonwardak 19y ago
      It was stupid that they thought they could get him. Of course, he's good. They should have wanted him, but he also barely knew my partner during undergrad. And we were actually pretty good friends before this incident.
jmpeters 19y ago
molehill != mountain
- edw519 19y ago
  poaching == (-balls)
jsjenkins168 19y ago
I think you just saved yourself from what could have eventually been a huge headache. I'm assuming since you are applying for funding from YC that you are looking to start a company (YC acceptance or not). If that is the case, you should be glad that you weeded out someone weak while it is easy and not later on down the road. This could be a valuable lesson: Choose who you work with and trust very carefully! If this guy can get up and jet on you this easily, think what would have happened after you actually started and financial and emotional stress enters the equation? My advice is go find someone who you can really trust as a co-founder. Someone you know you can depend on when the going gets tough.
edw519 19y ago
"...I don't want to bury anyone else's reputation..." That's not for you to decide. If what they did was unethical, then you have a responsibility to share. If it wasn't, then anything you say won't matter anyway. I place ethics more important than anything else when considering partners. WAY more important that skill, work ethic, or connections. Take it from someone who has been burned more than once by lying, cheating, stealing, and backroom deals that my partners thought were "no big deal". F*ck 'em. They'll never get a second chance with me. Never. You're probably tempted to say nothing so you don't offend. Don't. Spare the rest of the community the same potential headache and tell the whole story. (Personally, if someone tried to poach my partner, only one of us would leave the room alive. This isn't a game anymore.)
deleted 19y ago
[deleted]
- deleted 19y ago
  [deleted]
caveman82 19y ago
Hey folks, I am indeed the notorious "poacher" and the poster boy for unethical YC practices. View my response here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=62109 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=62109
- pius 19y ago
  What the hell? I know everyone involved apparently . . .
ahsonwardak 19y ago
If I had known that this would devolve into a public shouting match, I would not have posted this in a public forum. As far as I am concerned, I only intended to vent on my blog and this forum about something that upset me. I am disappointed that we didn't raise the level of discourse, instead it ended up being a free-for-all. I'm over it. It's a dead issue.

12 points by ahsonwardak 19y ago

breck 19y ago

I'd like to hear the story from your partner's point of view. Could you please send me his name, email address, phone number, coding background and resume?

brett 19y ago

Since when is trying to recruit talented people stupid?

rms 19y ago
It was ill considered in that they didn't consider the enormous impact the loss of a partner would have on the original poster.
- brett 19y ago
  I'll concede that my question over simplifies the issue: Burning bridges is bad, you can definitely be stupid about how you try to recruit talent ... But whenever someone comes to work with/for you they're likely precluded for working for/with someone else. Sure there could be reasons not to try and poach someone, but in general I don't think you are responsible for the person/company left behind.

chaostheory 19y ago

seeing the words "unethical", "poaching", and "boneheaded" in ahsonwardak's post; it's interesting to note that ahsonwardak is currently living in Washington DC...

dfranke 19y ago

I don't see why you think it's unethical for them to try to poach your partner. It's not like he's some helpless pawn in this game, especially if he's as smart as you say he is. If I thought I had a chance at getting one of my competitor's best people to come work for me instead, I'd jump on it in an instant.

pius 19y ago
Haha, I'm curious who this is about since I know the OP. Anyway, I think it's a poorly executed attempt at being unethical. If you had a friendship with the person who tried to poach, that person should have realized that he was going to dagger your relationship by trying to steal your partner without even pitching an idea. Given that your partner is very tight with you (and apparently barely knows the poacher), obviously the incident was going to get back to you . . . one would have expected that the poacher would have tried to partner with you guys or, at the very least, have made a damn compelling argument for why your partner would ditch you. If you're gonna be shady, you've gotta be strategic about it at least. LOL
ahsonwardak 19y ago
Fine, it's not unethical, but it's stupid. Did they think they had a shot after one run-in at a bar? Would you join another team after running into them at a bar with no knowledge of their idea?
- rms 19y ago
  I think you're being overly emotional here, they didn't think their offer through. Which makes it stupid, not malicious.
- dfranke 19y ago
  What are you saying is stupid? Wanting him, or thinking they could get him? If you all went to undergrad together, then it's possible they know more about his talent than either of you realize. I certainly have classmates who didn't know me very well, who, while I wouldn't take them as the other half of a two-man team, I would take them as a third or fourth man give that I already had one committed partner. And while their chances at success may have been slim, it's not like the attempt required much of an investment.
  - ahsonwardak 19y ago
    It was stupid that they thought they could get him. Of course, he's good. They should have wanted him, but he also barely knew my partner during undergrad. And we were actually pretty good friends before this incident.

jmpeters 19y ago

molehill != mountain

edw519 19y ago
poaching == (-balls)

jsjenkins168 19y ago

I think you just saved yourself from what could have eventually been a huge headache. I'm assuming since you are applying for funding from YC that you are looking to start a company (YC acceptance or not). If that is the case, you should be glad that you weeded out someone weak while it is easy and not later on down the road. This could be a valuable lesson: Choose who you work with and trust very carefully! If this guy can get up and jet on you this easily, think what would have happened after you actually started and financial and emotional stress enters the equation? My advice is go find someone who you can really trust as a co-founder. Someone you know you can depend on when the going gets tough.

edw519 19y ago

"...I don't want to bury anyone else's reputation..." That's not for you to decide. If what they did was unethical, then you have a responsibility to share. If it wasn't, then anything you say won't matter anyway. I place ethics more important than anything else when considering partners. WAY more important that skill, work ethic, or connections. Take it from someone who has been burned more than once by lying, cheating, stealing, and backroom deals that my partners thought were "no big deal". F*ck 'em. They'll never get a second chance with me. Never. You're probably tempted to say nothing so you don't offend. Don't. Spare the rest of the community the same potential headache and tell the whole story. (Personally, if someone tried to poach my partner, only one of us would leave the room alive. This isn't a game anymore.)

deleted 19y ago

[deleted]

deleted 19y ago
[deleted]

caveman82 19y ago

Hey folks, I am indeed the notorious "poacher" and the poster boy for unethical YC practices. View my response here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=62109 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=62109

pius 19y ago
What the hell? I know everyone involved apparently . . .

ahsonwardak 19y ago

If I had known that this would devolve into a public shouting match, I would not have posted this in a public forum. As far as I am concerned, I only intended to vent on my blog and this forum about something that upset me. I am disappointed that we didn't raise the level of discourse, instead it ended up being a free-for-all. I'm over it. It's a dead issue.