[rdez6173]

These anecdotes seem a little light on detail, so it's hard to really see how Fred was treated poorly.

Through the course of my career there have been personality conflicts. I think this is natural and common. In the world of startups it can be even more dramatic.

The bottom line is that you should be confident in your skills, but not be an asshole (and you should expect the same from your colleagues). And, unless you have an equity stake, you can always move on.

It sound like Fred did this - he dealt with some standard workplace BS, then moved on when it was untenable. Good on him.

I just wish the examples were a bit more detailed and illustrative of the post's title.