Ask HN: How do you fight elitism in startups?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4964388

by diminium • 14 years ago

6 7 14 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

How do you fight elitism in startups?

zekenie• 14 years ago

example?

digitalWestie• 14 years ago

What kind of elitism do you mean?

se85• 14 years ago

I have dealt with it in the past by using their egos against them to force them to be accountable for their actions to the point where they back themselves into a corner which is usually when the lies and deceit start becoming very noticeable which gives me all the reasons I need to remove them.

I've never met someone that was an elitist and not full of crap.

The most 'elite' people I've ever had the pleasure to know were intact very humble about it so whenever I come across someone who acts elite but is not at all humble about it they usually don't last too long because I see this as an attitude problem that can and should only be solved by the individual.

diminium• 14 years ago

What would you do if you aren't a founder with limited control but you've noticed it growing among the company?

andrewcooke• 14 years ago

is elitism really the right word? it sounds like you're mad at something and using the word "elitist" because it's the first thing that comes to mind.

what i would suggest doing is sitting down and thinking very carefully about what has happened and what annoys you. make a list on paper if that's the way your brain works. tease out all the details and your emotions.

i would guess, if you do that, that (1) you'll see that the "elitist" part is largely emotional related to how you feel and (2) that you can actually some real problems at a lower level (like being rude, or lazy, or incorrect, or not giving credit, or whatever). once you have more detailed lower level problems you can think about how to address those.

tldr - "elitist" is an emotional "catch-all" phrase that isn't helping you or anyone else here. you need to do some work and think through in more detail what happened. once you do that you'll have a clearer idea how to continue.

tldrtldr - only once you see things clearly can you fix them.

pvdm• 14 years ago

Startups by definition are elitist.

jpdevereaux• 14 years ago

Fight elitism by getting rid of the elitists. A successful startup is not fueled by egos, but by hard work, dedication, and cooperation. It's perfectly normal to feel good about yourself if you've done (and continue to do) those things, but those who do not tend to become elitist.

Ask HN: How do you fight elitism in startups?

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