Ask HN: Who are examples of ethically upstanding founders/CEO to model after? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Who are examples of ethically upstanding founders/CEO to model after?

I don't know if I'm overly sensitive and wholly unfit for the founder journey or have just had a distorted experience thus far, but increasingly it seems there is no "making it" it in this corner of venture without cutting ethical corners. Lying, backstabbing, amoral (read: inhumane) politicking, disregard for user well being and privacy, etc, all appear to be basic tools in every startup toolbox.

Call it delusion, but there is a small part of me that hopes to prove that startup success, however you define it, is possible through honesty, authenticity, and empathy. In an effort to do so, I'm in search of successful founders/CEOs who seem to exhibit these qualities.

View on HN

Why should you model yourself after a CEO of a big company?

They need to do a lot of unhappy and not so fun things other people won't do, or give orders that such things are done. They might not be that self-aware and have the same critical thinking you just had in your sentence, that's why they don't mind doing the dirty stuff.

They usually do whatever the extent of the law allows and even a few gray area things, and some... even unlawful stuff.

It's better to have models for yourself that are meaningful. Our predecessors, people that made peace possible in this world, people that are defending our planet among other causes.

As a founder, you can also have your own takes. Also, there are plenty of good books about management, communication and so on that you can learn from.

Also, when shareholders will throw you under the bus and you need to do the dirty work or get kicked out, remember you are always free to leave. They can find another person to run that company, we're not special or rare. Much less a company's CEO.

Maybe a start would be building your company in a reliable and honest pace. No assholery, pay people fairly and respect them. Don't raise money. Create your own example.

It isn't even that hard, given how terrible and silly the average founder/CEO is. There's barely any example worth following.

I guess that the people who have honesty, authenticity, and empathy are more likely to do other things than start companies. Say found a non-profit or work as a social worker, or to be a scientist.

You could do worse than reading up on Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard. He wrote some books "looking back" as it were. I'd recommend Enough [151] and Don't Count on It [13765]

[151] https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Enough%3A+True+Measures+of+Money...

[13765] https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Don%27t+Count+on+It%21%3A+Reflec...

It's not directly a "how to survive SV without becoming Zuckerberg" but it's worth a read.

"Good" CEOs exist in plenty, but since they're "good" they don't keep scrambling to the top; they're usually content to get their business to a sustainable level and let growth take care of itself; some even go so far as to limit growth as they fear getting to big would ruin what they have.

Not sure exactly what you're looking for, but look up Tom Murphy and Dan Burke (of Capital Cities/ABC).

They had a peculiar frugal no-nonsense no-BS style of doing business.

Actually, I read the book "The Ride of a Lifetime" by Robert Iger, who is/was the CEO of Disney (he had originally retired, but apparently they made him CEO again).

While Igers seems like a cool person (as per his own book) I found his descriptions of Tom and Dan even more interesting. It was from this book that I first heard about them.

I agree with your aim, and have attempted to prove it myself!

All humans are imperfect but examples of doing things for the right reasons and in the right way include (say) Dale Vince of Ecotricity in the UK.

Not a tech company, but look into Yvon Chouinard from Patagonia. He has done a lot of things that aren’t typical for successful founders.

Ben & Jerry's founders and ceo are doing great things. As in they have taken ethical decisions that have hurt their bottom line.

Probably depends on your ethics/politics. Ben Cohen is a prominent supporter of stopping U.S. military support for Ukraine.

I don't think one disagreeable opinion undoes all his other humanitarian work.

That depends on where you draw your moral lines, doesn't it? :) I do think this example just underscores the grayness and ambiguity of our human existence. I bet even some of the lying and moral corner-cutting experienced by OP would have pedestrian and wholly rational explanations. I've certainly seen reasonable people disagree vehemently with reasonable (in my opinion, but not theirs) decisions.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com