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Comment by gobongo | Hacker News Reader

IMO the problem isn't that he looks 20, but rather that he looks pretty douchey in that photo. Looking young isn't so bad in this context, but looking like you just stepped off of the set of one of those MTV 'reality' shows is.

I'm fairly certain this is going to get me down-voted through the floor, but please at least view the picture in question prior to down-voting me for saying this.

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It was my impression too that the photo could be appropriate.

EDIT: I've edited my comment to make it more constructive. Brian, I think you are doing a great job with AirBNB and handling this situation. Please take these comments as constructive criticism regarding the photo (in this particular situation).

Don't let them get you down, Brian.

I hesitated to even bring it up because I didn't know how to say it without it sounding like a personal attack, but FWIW, I didn't mean it as one.

We all have photos taken of us that convey personalities that aren't really our own. I don't think you're a douche, but the photo gives that impression a bit.

Classiest reply in this whole discussion.

My sincere apologies!!!

John

Yo man: f these haters. Even the well meaning ones with their rubbernecking advice, even the fellow YC alums who don't understand that when a man has just been through hell and back that the last thing he needs is more people piling on with "constructive criticism" in an open forum. A lot of people tried to kill you just now, with a few like Melinda Byerley openly admitting that this was just an opportunity to express their envy and hatred.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/31/another-airbnb-victim-tells...

For PR reasons you need to smile, even as JimmyL critiques the sincerity of your orthodontics. Smile on the outside and ask them in a chipper tone how you can be of service, but in the end, seriously, f* em. There's an insane amount of implementation work to do to get this 24/7 support and insurance program operational. F* em all and just plow. Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And your real customers and fans will thank you for it.

Point taken. For the record, I'm a big fan of AirBNB and have used it multiple times.

For what it's worth I think that the photo looks perfectly fine. I'd be a very happy person if I could photograph that well. Customers don't care how professional the profile pictures look. They care about their experience using the service itself.

Sorry Brian, but it was my first reaction as well. I showed a friend the pic and asked "what do you think of this person?" and she said "he's evil and creepy" :(

If it were me, I would just take a quick snapshot right now and replace that photo temporarily, until you can get some better professional shots.

No really, open Photo Booth and take a brighter picture, right now.

Studies have shown that the first impression you get of a piece colors your perception even after you read the whole thing. Pictures have a stronger immediate emotional reaction than words do, and while the bolded "we will be implementing a $50,000 Airbnb Guarantee" definitely gives an immediate "wow, nice" feeling, it'd be even better if it wasn't dampened by the initial "uh, who's the Bond villain?"

To be fair, I think it's a decent smile, but the lighting, combined with Brian's dark eyebrows, creates this shadow which is easy to interpret as slightly sinister.

If his head was raised slightly and lit more strongly, I don't think you'd feel the same way.

Sorry, I meant that:

It was my impression too that the photo could be made more appropriate.

"Smug" might be a better word. Fairly sinister lighting, too. The photo was definitely the first thing I noticed.

The lighting actually makes it look a lot like a Jill Greenberg photo:

http://www.google.com/search?q=jill+greenberg+photo&um=1...

I wouldn't be surprised too since she's also a RISD alumn.

I immediately thought of Joey L's logging style, which is similar to Greenberg's. Basically, the really strong lighting on the sides and relatively dark front of face looks like his work for the Twilight movie posters.

I don't think he looks like a douche, but I thought that picture was a stock photo of someone who was supposed to represent the criminal who started the whole mess.

I rarely LOL on HN, but I did just then.

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