| A friend shared this thread with me... he said I should share my story. Joining my "friend's" startup, I hoped to use my experience and connections to guide and support the team. My friend, twenty years my junior and someone I'd previously mentored, was leading the venture. He and his business partner left University, and had the dream of forming a silicon valley company. They spent several years grinding away at this dream, and fair play to them, managed to raise millions on the back of a very weak idea. They were now ready to build a team and start developing the product. They had never been an employee as such (unless you count working in McDonalds), and had no idea how to run a company. I was excited to help them, and to see if I could help them avoid the mistakes I'd made in my career. These lads were much maligned and laughed at - they were seen as a joke by many, and I didn't like that. I wanted them to win. Despite witnessing some concerning behavior early on.... - He gatecrashed a christmas party I attended and made a scene by dry humping me from behind, and loudly proclaiming to everyone that I was 'his bitch' - I chose to join out of loyalty and optimism. The job quickly turned sour. As CTO, his performance was far from what I expected. He was not only ill-equipped for the technical demands of the role but also struggled with the emotional and ethical aspects of leadership. His approach to technology was chaotic and misguided, often leading us down problematic paths. There was a particularly serious incident which I won't go into, but he refused to acknowledge how serious it was. The work environment became increasingly difficult. His emotional outbursts, lack of accountability, and poor decision-making created a toxic atmosphere. When my colleagues and I attempted to intervene or suggest strategic changes, we were met with resistance and eventually dismissed for not being a good 'fit'. Even though the company eventually pivotted towards our advice, the damage was done. The leadership remained a disaster. Their dev turnover is high. If people aren't fired they quit. This whole mess taught me one thing: while I’d still consider working with a friend, it has to be someone I deeply respect and trust. Someone competent, with integrity, not a power-drunk disaster like this. Never again will I make the mistake of mixing business with misplaced loyalty. |