| I spoke with Hsieh briefly after his talk at Draper University in 2015.[1] I was in Boost Accelerator for Gliph and our group got to sit in on some but not all of the guest lectures that season. (Elon also spoke, but we did not get to attend that one) Before Tony gave the above speech, Tim introduced Hsieh and his relationship in investing in Zappos. I may not have this quite right but I believe Tim talked about a time where either Hsieh needed bridge money and either Tim's fund or DFJ had to make a call on whether to bail out Zappos. IIRC, Tim or the fund he was managing chose not to bail out Hsieh. It may have been because of the 2000 crash, I can not remember. But Tim was very open about this decision and I believe the choice Tim made was not good for Tony at the time. I can’t say for sure, but I recall Tim saying it hurt their relationship. He told this story standing right next to Hsieh. I'm not sure exactly how but they worked it out, not only because Hsieh pulled through and raised capital elsewhere, but because he was there to give that talk in person. The relationship was clearly in good shape. Wish I could remember more details. I'll try to get them if the opportunity presents itself. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJP_EbqQ-XA |