Paul GrahamVerified account

No, startups do that themselves because it's cheaper than actual compensation. Employees want money, stock, and healthcare benefits, not juvenile perks and coddling

A idealistic, going-to-solve-world-problems-with-tech techie is usually cheaper than the hard nosed, cynical and what's-in-it-for-me techie, hence the coddling.

Academia is the result of existing liberal staff only bringing in like-minded colleagues. And I suppose that startups could follow as you suggest. OTOH, coddling should force startups to broaden their hiring. This does not explain how universities were initially so liberal.

“The talent war causes startups to coddle employees” for me, that’s the 80% factor.

My hypothesis is the switch from founder-lead HR which makes the first 1000 hires like Paul Bucheit, to academic HR which hired the next 100,000 based on policies which assume talent & ability can't be measured, and that reduce organizational teamwork to compassion.

The left’s attack on SV (others will follow Warren) could see some damascene conversions to Trump in the coming year... or at a minimum the closet Reps in SV finally making themselves heard

It is incredible how much of a nanny startup companies are. Cant believe grown people with 6 figure salaries can be swayed by a pet stipend or a juice bar.