[guiambros]

Sure not. Unless the fine is high enough to hurt financially the person that is infringing the rules, it will have the opposite effect.

It'll allow a false sense of entitlement; "I'm paying for it, so it's now ok to arrive late to pick up my child. It's my right".

[codinghorror]

I'm pretty sure that $10/minute isn't hurting anyone working at a VC firm enough to matter. Maybe $10k/minute?

A fine that was high enough to cause financial harm would surely have other unanticipated effects.

[roel_v]

What do people working at VC firms (as opposed to partners at VC firms) make? I don't think anywhere near enough to make paying a couple of hundred dollars per week just for showing up late negligible.

E.g, http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/salary/venture-capital-compen... lists 'analysts' and 'associates' at between 80 and 250k. Not the kind of money to light cigars with 20 dollar bills (certainly not in NYC).

[guiambros]

The key point is to cause pain.

A fine high enough to hurt financially the person breaking the rules is one option (that's what governments usually do). Other good option is public embarrassment. I used the $1 fine for people late to meetings, but we also counted the number of times each one was fined, so there was an extra incentive to avoid.

[DanBC]

Be careful the 'fine' (preventative) does not become a 'charge' (entitlement).

"I've paid my dollar, so what if I'm late?" (As mentioned in that pop-economics book about the parents and the nursery.)

[jfoutz]

It's not false if you're paying for it. you've bought the right.