As Pink Floyd said in a song "You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to, so that when they turn their backs on you. You'll get the chance to put the knife in."
As someone who lost out on a billion dollar business, be nice, but watch out for knives in the back. Often those knives are in the form of law firms.
They want you to believe you're paranoid, delusional, manic for considering the possibility that they may not have your best interests at heart. While it's true that skepticism can be taken to an unhealthy extreme, most people are too gullible, not too skeptical.
Ironically, promoting the "everyone is nice, don't worry, nothing can hurt you if you give everything away" perspective is itself evidence that they don't have your best interests at heart. Non-hostile people don't begrudge those who are attempting to practice reasonable due diligence and "deal hygiene". Good deals are good for everyone, and that means that you shouldn't need to worry about how "nice" something is or isn't.
This essay links out to a sister essay about how few business people are "mean". They certainly don't seem mean; conspicuous mean-spiritedness is not an attractive attribute, and you'll have a hard time accumulating power if you exhibit it. On the other hand, you'll also have a hard time accumulating power by being a bleeding heart.
As an investor, pg has an incentive to encourage founders not to worry about how much they're giving away. As a semi-prominent/powerful player in Silicon Valley, he also has a PR image that must be maintained to prevent an undesirable level of scrutiny from either the press or the government.
We should not forget that pg's self-interest is to convince others a) to give things away without thinking about it; and b) to maintain a public persona as a businessman-philanthropist with net social benefit, as opposed to a realistic cynic who used his advantage in wits to excel.
Oh and lawyers are expensive.
I suspect the only people for whom partnerships could in anyway make sense are lawyers.
I've made a ton more money having partners than I would have without.
I suspect that many developers haven't REALLY had to deal with Machiavellian people before, and in that respect, I was fortunate to come to coding from a more cutthroat business environment in which I had already been screwed multiple times. What doesn't kill you etc.
> What doesn't kill you etc.
[tongue in cheek] Reading between the lines there, does it mean you were the one doing the stabbing in the back ?
;-)
Serious question (assuming the above wasn't the case), how do you deal with the Machiavellian people without turning into one of them?
I think to be aware of the possibly modes of power play and betrayal people avail themselves of, and to guard yourself against them, does not imply that you have to use them against innocents.
Personally, I have lost a ton of money as a result of having partners.
Now I have a personal rule: if I can't afford to hire someone for their skills or expertise, I can't afford them.
When I see someone trying to make a power move, I stay as far away from them as possible. These people could only sustain that life with alcohol, smoking and just whatever else. I remember my boss at a marketing company would take shots early in the morning and our office was full of hard alcohol everywhere that you would think you were at a bar. Is the stress worth it in the end? You reap what you sow...trying to make a quick buck is never worth it.
>After some other mistakes, I learned to go into business only with people whom I like, trust, and admire. As I noted before, this policy of itself will not ensure success: A second- class textile or department-store company won't prosper simply because its managers are men that you would be pleased to see your daughter marry. However, an owner - or investor - can accomplish wonders if he manages to associate himself with such people in businesses that possess decent economic characteristics. Conversely, we do not wish to join with managers who lack admirable qualities, no matter how attractive the prospects of their business. We've never succeeded in making a good deal with a bad person.
For me it was around what I thought was a carefully crafted contract. Long story by my partner seized all of the IP, than said "sue me". It was specifically prohibited in the contract, but I was not in a position at the time to spend a LOT of money fighting a team of lawyers.
Unfortunately what my team had made look easy was beyond the capabilities of the team he hired to replace us. So the product floundered.
I think you've bested me a fair few times. :)