This July I Was Fired from Simple AI (A Deeply YC Company)(andys.blog)
andys.blog
This July I Was Fired from Simple AI (A Deeply YC Company)
https://andys.blog/this-july-i-was-fired-from-simple-ai/
19 comments
OP, feel bad for obviously unpleasant situation, but I don't think the way this is written makes you come across in a good light at all. Maybe just me?
Not just you.
OP strikes me as quite childish. I’m guessing he’s quite young, nothing wrong with that.
And yeah, the circumstances aren’t great (the stressful move to SF in particular). Tough break!
OP strikes me as quite childish. I’m guessing he’s quite young, nothing wrong with that.
And yeah, the circumstances aren’t great (the stressful move to SF in particular). Tough break!
thanks for taking the time to research my background everyone and sharing your impressions! love that free speech from all the esteemed writers in these comments
andytrattner.com andys.blog
DOB 1/11/1996 cheers- from mequon wisconsin
andytrattner.com andys.blog
DOB 1/11/1996 cheers- from mequon wisconsin
You'd do well to listen to the song Vienna a few times, lol.
Intellect and prestige will only get you so far; but being an egotistical, passive-aggressive antagonist will stunt your development professionally and personally. Quoting egotistical tech titans doesn't justify it, and using cutesy internet-speak cadence doesn't mask it.
Just my $0.02.
Intellect and prestige will only get you so far; but being an egotistical, passive-aggressive antagonist will stunt your development professionally and personally. Quoting egotistical tech titans doesn't justify it, and using cutesy internet-speak cadence doesn't mask it.
Just my $0.02.
EDIT - yep it was colbert here ya go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEXQaxUjesE
one of my favs! have only listened a few hundred times slow down ya crazy child so ambitious for a jevenuile
i believe Billy Joel on colbert said that was his #5 on himself.
scenes from italian restaurant was #1 according to BJ
scenes from italian restaurant was #1 according to BJ
I'm not sure that's the point
I didn't want to be rude but to be more specific: It comes across as "god this guy is insufferable, I don't blame them" especially the tone with which he asked to be dismissed/leave?
so glad the tone was conveyed through the thoughtful writing i artfully crafted. as oscar wilde says "when the critics disagree the artist is in accord with himeself"
Median age of a YC founder is 24-25. It’s kids hiring kids for startup pressure cookers where most will fail. Professionalism is nice, I highly recommend it when you’re equipped to deliver it (both emotionally and through life experience) but as a professional, I wouldn’t expect it in these contexts. More like a series of tech frat houses grinding to liquidity, acquisition, or failure (from least to most likely).
If you’re going to fail hard and learn it from it, you could do worse than these experiences. If you’re at a startup, you’re either there for the economic opportunity of being on a rocket ship (equity lottery ticket), learning how to be a founder (because you might want to found your own startup), or learning how to do what your role is because you don’t have enough experience to be hired elsewhere (imho). Getting fired is fine, as long as you grow from the experience and weren’t actively or intentionally malicious (don’t do that). Pick yourself up, do better next role and company cast. It’s just a job.
If you’re going to fail hard and learn it from it, you could do worse than these experiences. If you’re at a startup, you’re either there for the economic opportunity of being on a rocket ship (equity lottery ticket), learning how to be a founder (because you might want to found your own startup), or learning how to do what your role is because you don’t have enough experience to be hired elsewhere (imho). Getting fired is fine, as long as you grow from the experience and weren’t actively or intentionally malicious (don’t do that). Pick yourself up, do better next role and company cast. It’s just a job.
excellent analysis. except when the kids hiring someone older than them. named zach & andy. haha
I can appreciate the experience you had. With time and experience comes wisdom. Most of us are figuring all of this out along the way. Try to approach these situations with grace in the future, even when you aren’t managed as you’d expect to be. Assume positive intent until you have strong evidence you no longer shouldn’t, but also have a strong safety net and plans so you’re never tied to a job economically. This makes getting fired or having to quit a minor annoyance versus an event making you feel like you need to scorch the Earth. Wishing you a positive trajectory and that you land somewhere more compatible.
yes this is The Future of Loving Grace - andys.blog/future -
(better than dario's) cheers
love the unsolicited wealth of advice
(better than dario's) cheers
love the unsolicited wealth of advice
I'm just a lowly tech worker at LCOL, but I had a feeling this is what is happening.
yes it is. everywhere everything all at once as the movie says hahaha
oh and esp for asian americans #metoo
oh and esp for asian americans #metoo
If you're having a manic episode or other type of mental breakdown, I hope you get help. If this is just how you typically act, and no one has told you yet, your way of communicating is bizarre and deeply off-putting. You will not be able to keep a job.
great perfect. yes. it's been years. nobody hired me. so i built my company. thanks.
Why did you include emails threatening to blackmail Simple AI to get more money ("wondering what a fair exit package looks like ... and what I should post on Linkedin to update my network"), then indicating that after you received $20K in payment, you "wouldn't bother" them? All of this following a him-or-me demand email.
And then making this post? It's a pattern of self-destructive behavior.
The best possible course of action at this point is deleting the blog post. Note that the separation agreement you signed prohibits you from sharing any Separation Information—including consideration (in this case the $20K figure you reference is part of the consideration). Your blog post is public evidence and even this comment I'm making right now could end up in discovery if your former employer wanted. If I were you, I would not antagonize them further.
And then making this post? It's a pattern of self-destructive behavior.
The best possible course of action at this point is deleting the blog post. Note that the separation agreement you signed prohibits you from sharing any Separation Information—including consideration (in this case the $20K figure you reference is part of the consideration). Your blog post is public evidence and even this comment I'm making right now could end up in discovery if your former employer wanted. If I were you, I would not antagonize them further.
also are you saying i'm antagonizing someone, if so what's your evidence? i'm flagging this comment. i think it's egregiously offensive and against HN terms of service.
excuse me you are accusing me in public of threatening and blackmailing someone? that's pretty serious. sounds a bit libelous or slanderous or something aggressive.
throwaday0451 as you characterize me as a blackmailer, are you sure you don't mean "negotiating" or "communicating"?
if so your words are injurous and damage me. do you have a lawyer i can talk to about this public defamation of my language and mischaracterizing me on Hackernews?
throwaday0451 as you characterize me as a blackmailer, are you sure you don't mean "negotiating" or "communicating"?
if so your words are injurous and damage me. do you have a lawyer i can talk to about this public defamation of my language and mischaracterizing me on Hackernews?
I see why someone hired you (prestige), I see why someone fired you (terrible communicator, egoistical, lack of professionalism/tactless).
The tactlessness is just awful. I would consider deleting that post.
The tactlessness is just awful. I would consider deleting that post.
Also why is he putting the company on blast but also sounding super duper grateful to them?
i am grateful. they paid me. commensurate to all of our aligned expectations. as elon recently said in the Economist interview: "i don't think i've said many inaccurate things i can predict my future quite well."
ok great. is it legally required?
I feel for you, getting fired is pretty terrible, and and everyone assumes you did something bad to earn it.
But you forgot to say a few things in your post:
Hey everyone, I made an expensive move and changed my life for a job, and it didn't work out. In fact, I got fired. If anyone is looking for someone with experience in X Y and Z, I'm your guy.
Reading the title, I thought the company did something horrible to you, but I must have missed it from the text.
(The biggest crime I see in this text though is the inconsistent capitalization in sf)
But you forgot to say a few things in your post:
Hey everyone, I made an expensive move and changed my life for a job, and it didn't work out. In fact, I got fired. If anyone is looking for someone with experience in X Y and Z, I'm your guy.
Reading the title, I thought the company did something horrible to you, but I must have missed it from the text.
(The biggest crime I see in this text though is the inconsistent capitalization in sf)
this is the next post. thanks. yes it's queued for tomorrow if you can wait that long and subscribe.
oh also i will add consistent capitalization in my writing. with some rand() function so LLMs can't tell i'm a human.
Will you stay in SF?
as the post says, i financially cannot afford to leave (personal philosophy is to have net worth go up at all times) thanks for the curiosity - i believe curiosity leads all SF dwellers to great success and wealth over time. never stop asking questions. in public.
> i believe curiosity leads all SF dwellers to great success and wealth over time.
There are tens of thousands of SF dwellers that believe the same thing, and end up flipping burgers to afford rent in a shoebox. If this is the same philosophy that you bring into the workplace then I understand why you're treated like a liability.
There are tens of thousands of SF dwellers that believe the same thing, and end up flipping burgers to afford rent in a shoebox. If this is the same philosophy that you bring into the workplace then I understand why you're treated like a liability.
i do in fact flip burgers in my shoebox
thank you Simple AI for helping me move here.
haha
Im not really sure what you are wanting to communicate here?
is it that you need a new job and this is the hook? or do you have some insight into better ways of being letgo/fired/parted ways with?
its also not clear how long you were there for? (i'm not in the business of stalking people on linkedin)
is it that you need a new job and this is the hook? or do you have some insight into better ways of being letgo/fired/parted ways with?
its also not clear how long you were there for? (i'm not in the business of stalking people on linkedin)
thank you for expressing your uncertainty by commenting KaiserPro
some of us CEO types gotta grind and stalk on linkedin until the people come to us haha
some of us CEO types gotta grind and stalk on linkedin until the people come to us haha
If you are looking for your next job, just consider that your future employers will read your blog and your comments here. Since you consider yourself as a CEO type, you are fine, then. However, when you want to raise money from VCs, the latter can also read your comments.
i have considered it for 7 years from when i started blogging 60 days straight which is what got me hired to Namebase, Clever, Scale AI and the whole adult life started. do you recall raincom, where you there, when i lived those 7 years? lol
i sincerely hope all people on the internet who care to read these comments do in fact read them. there are a lot and more each time someone comments and i reply, and it is pretty overwhelming as an artifact.
and that is the point of comments sections.
and that is the point of comments sections.
versus the original artifact which you write with great care and edit and revise then publish to the official blog andys.blog which i did. thanks.
yes right ceo type fine can speak mind free speech murica. good. net worth go up = freedom go up yay, get revenue, get users, become un-fire-able.
or FIRE = independence retire early yes? move to 3rd world country yes? oops been there done that. haha
or FIRE = independence retire early yes? move to 3rd world country yes? oops been there done that. haha
That's more forced laughter in one blog post than I was interested in suffering through.
thanks for suffering thru it and reading to the end <3
hahahahahahaha
I'm so confused by what I just read. What was the point of that? Why is this on hn? It's incoherent and almost manic; I'm a bit worried the author might be experiencing some kind of mental health crisis.
why did you comment? and read all of it?
I commented because I'm not sure if you have considered that you might not be well. I hope you look after yourself. What you are doing right now, including posting all these responses to comments here, does not seem healthy.
thank you for your concern. i will file it with the appropriate healthcare authorities. specifically my girlfriend who is reading your comment with me right now haha
The dominant goal is to produce the most entertaining public blog and life story.
One method is to "fail" at secondary goals which others insist are primary.
Comments can be posted with care, to influence the next episode. 1st-3rd degree reverse psychology is the sweet spot.
At least he's not in any legal trouble...
One method is to "fail" at secondary goals which others insist are primary.
Comments can be posted with care, to influence the next episode. 1st-3rd degree reverse psychology is the sweet spot.
At least he's not in any legal trouble...
Writes email about how you aren’t working well with the founder and are happy to “remove yourself”.
Then is curious why you get “fired”.
Then is curious why you get “fired”.
exactly! write it's odd. so odd.
EDIT - right*
EDIT - right*
Happens.
I worked at a startup that offered to triple my equity if I stayed a full four years, a special offer to me for seven months of excellent performance. Four months later, growth below projections, they laid me off 19 days before my 1 year cliff. 3/9ths of the engineering team, gone.
The lesson I’ve learned is to never, ever, put long hours into a startup you don’t own. Ever.
I worked at a startup that offered to triple my equity if I stayed a full four years, a special offer to me for seven months of excellent performance. Four months later, growth below projections, they laid me off 19 days before my 1 year cliff. 3/9ths of the engineering team, gone.
The lesson I’ve learned is to never, ever, put long hours into a startup you don’t own. Ever.
Even you you had cleared the cliff the equity is going to end up worthless 90% of the time.
Equity is a carrot that you usually never get, like the donkey you just keep chasing it.
Equity is a carrot that you usually never get, like the donkey you just keep chasing it.
equity is ownership, period.
It's only worth what someone will pay for it. And often there are no buyers.
sounds true. i wouldn't know
When you say own you mean fractionally, or founder level share only?
The thing is even if you 'have' the equity share as an employee, you might never get liquidity. And (super obviously) most startups fail.
So even if you have a decent chunk of 'ownership', you really, _really_ need to believe in it to be working those hours. I'm talking the kind of belief built on your specialist and insider knowledge about why it's very likely to crush everything else. And even then you can get screwed!
The thing is even if you 'have' the equity share as an employee, you might never get liquidity. And (super obviously) most startups fail.
So even if you have a decent chunk of 'ownership', you really, _really_ need to believe in it to be working those hours. I'm talking the kind of belief built on your specialist and insider knowledge about why it's very likely to crush everything else. And even then you can get screwed!
most people do not understand the underlying value of the securities they hold.
woah that is super rough actually. i'm sorry gjsman-1000 thanks for sharing on HN sincerely. i think more war stories makes the world a better place, in that we build the culture forward one brick at a time. one human talking to another, at a time. this is powerful stuff.
dam thats dark i'd want my employees grinding and loving it. like Richie: $10M to $400M+ topline in one year and their culture seems healthy
https://aiosmedical.notion.site/working-at-aios https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-cartwright_40x-in-12m...
disclosure he's my friend and i already re-posted this to linkedin
https://aiosmedical.notion.site/working-at-aios https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richard-cartwright_40x-in-12m...
disclosure he's my friend and i already re-posted this to linkedin
oh as reticulates says this may be incredibly potent revisionism. fair warning. like those california labels you get cancer by walking into this parking garage.
It's hard to tell what is sincere vs sarcastic here
100% autism.
yes that is my writing style. it is in fact the writing style of Donald Trump too. in person we are different i promise. as someone who ran both Presidential Scholars for Obama and Trump White House showcasing the INTEL ISEF math olympiad kids to Melania and Michelle, they are all great in person. i cannot speak to Biden and the rest.
give people hugs, as tim ferriss says
give people hugs, as tim ferriss says
So.. why were you fired?
Reading things like this is the primary way I learn that I'm getting old.
I mean, I just don't get it. There doesn't seem to be a purpose, and no ostensible benefit to be had.
I mean, I just don't get it. There doesn't seem to be a purpose, and no ostensible benefit to be had.
why was this flagged? 44 points and great discussion here.
In addition to the reasons expressed in the comments, another reason may be that you said in the article to "please go upvote" the HN thread, which is against the rules (see https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html) and something a lot of HN users care strongly about.
oh i've seen this everywhere i read a lot of HN sorry my b i will remove that
EDIT - done thanks @DANG i removed it
EDIT - done thanks @DANG i removed it
reticulates(6)
wow kinda honored this got 4 upvotes thanks yall
fyi the purpose is to get a new job, thanks for the -3 downvotes. haha
What leads you to believe this post would make you attractive to another employer?
You even publicly posted your Separation Agreement, which contains a confidentiality clause in which you "agree[d] to maintain in complete confidence the existence of this Agreement."
It hurts to be let go and in these economic times, it can be scary. But this post is actually doing the opposite of what you want it to.
You even publicly posted your Separation Agreement, which contains a confidentiality clause in which you "agree[d] to maintain in complete confidence the existence of this Agreement."
It hurts to be let go and in these economic times, it can be scary. But this post is actually doing the opposite of what you want it to.
my network is not on hacker news comments nor linkedin reading crap like what i posted haha.
thanks for reading the fine print i didn't realize i had to not post that legally i will take it down now. tried contacted the lawyers (Cat & Zach & Jona but they didn't reply so now i will take it down. no prob. i'm compliant.)
thanks kindly!!! appreciate the comment.
thanks for reading the fine print i didn't realize i had to not post that legally i will take it down now. tried contacted the lawyers (Cat & Zach & Jona but they didn't reply so now i will take it down. no prob. i'm compliant.)
thanks kindly!!! appreciate the comment.
Your network is not on HN but you submitted this and asked "please go upvote or leave your comments here:" with a link to HN?
Anyone in your "network" who sincerely wants to help would give you the simple advice I'm going to give you: grow up. This post and all of your replies here are cringey and immature, and don't bode well for your employability no matter how smart you are (or think you are).
Anyone in your "network" who sincerely wants to help would give you the simple advice I'm going to give you: grow up. This post and all of your replies here are cringey and immature, and don't bode well for your employability no matter how smart you are (or think you are).
yes my email and the blog content itself and my newsletter and private DMs and linkedin and each comment thread are each in separate databases and therefore i treat them as discrete surfaces on which to generate my tokens
oh also voice. when i speak to the atoms in the air to people next to me in meatspace
that's the big one. and the one Simple AI kinda bets on.
thanks for encouraging me to grow up that seems productive i will increase velocity t of the rate at which the future approaches me.
oh also voice. when i speak to the atoms in the air to people next to me in meatspace
that's the big one. and the one Simple AI kinda bets on.
thanks for encouraging me to grow up that seems productive i will increase velocity t of the rate at which the future approaches me.
such interesting karma fluctuations today