That people try to dominate and manipulate others for business gain? Is that what you have an incredible amount of difficulty believing?
Well, I can tell you based on my experience in startups going back to the early 1990s that it happens and it happens a lot. Particularly with VCs.
In fact, one of the reasons I'm pretty down on VCs (vs, say angels or syndicates) is their desire for "alpha male" types, their hiring of them, their funding of them, etc. They all think they are alpha males of course, and they act like it (which is often perceived, correctly, as being complete jerks) but they also respect it as well.
It is totally plausible to me, and I believe I've seen it happen, that the difference between being funded and not being funded was the perception that the lead of the company was an alpha male.
I none early experience, the CEO was brilliant technical guy but he was quiet and contemplative. You asked him a question and sometimes he'd think for 30 seconds before answering.
Once we were funded, after taking forever and putting us over the barrel, the VCs brought in an alpha male asshole who had not real people skills or business knowledge. They forced us to accept him as our new CEO. He's gone on to have quite a career doing nothing but being a personality type. You know the CEO who delegates everything because he knows nothing, for whom its hard to please because he can't tell the difference between good and bad and just demands more, etc. But at the same time somehow takes credit for everything.
The one who gaslights people, initiates charm offensives when he needs something, and when you accidentally show he was wrong, you become persona non grata.
Based on your response, I can't tell if you are one of those obnoxious alpha types that just hasn't been able to use it to get money out of an investor, or if you really are just some guy on the internet trying to humble brag about being around so few people in life that you've never met an obnoxious, alpha male in the tech industry.
There are certainly alpha leadership types, and some of them are obnoxious, but I don't buy the whole pop psychology rationalization of their supposed ability to halt critical thinking in otherwise rational people. That just reads as a dudebro power fantasy to me.
Cult of personality may pull some strings, but sooner or later the company needs to function and those people either steer the company in the right direction or capsize the ship because they're hot air.
I've met this guy many times over. The late 90s early 2000s version usually came from Cisco/Oracle/IBM/etc and had no idea how to sell a new product, let alone run a business. At least VCs seem to have mostly come to their senses.
Please read the book Rocket Fuel if this is really your current situation. It might just be that your co-founder is a visionary with the wrong responsibilities and you're the perfect integrator. Or your co-founder might just be an asshole period. If that's the case, jump ship now.
Just read it. Looking at the partnership in a new light now, and will work towards breaking up. I'm the visionary, and my partner is not the right integrator, if one at all. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Well, I can tell you based on my experience in startups going back to the early 1990s that it happens and it happens a lot. Particularly with VCs.
In fact, one of the reasons I'm pretty down on VCs (vs, say angels or syndicates) is their desire for "alpha male" types, their hiring of them, their funding of them, etc. They all think they are alpha males of course, and they act like it (which is often perceived, correctly, as being complete jerks) but they also respect it as well.
It is totally plausible to me, and I believe I've seen it happen, that the difference between being funded and not being funded was the perception that the lead of the company was an alpha male.
I none early experience, the CEO was brilliant technical guy but he was quiet and contemplative. You asked him a question and sometimes he'd think for 30 seconds before answering.
Once we were funded, after taking forever and putting us over the barrel, the VCs brought in an alpha male asshole who had not real people skills or business knowledge. They forced us to accept him as our new CEO. He's gone on to have quite a career doing nothing but being a personality type. You know the CEO who delegates everything because he knows nothing, for whom its hard to please because he can't tell the difference between good and bad and just demands more, etc. But at the same time somehow takes credit for everything.
The one who gaslights people, initiates charm offensives when he needs something, and when you accidentally show he was wrong, you become persona non grata.
You've never met this type?