
Dave McClure resigns as general partner of 500 Startups - ericzawo
https://www.axios.com/exclusive-dave-mcclure-resigns-as-general-partner-of-500-startups-2452701900.html
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pbiggar
The question I have with all these resignations and apologies is whether the
partners in question are still getting carry on their fund. Since it's not
addressed anywhere, I think it's safe to assume the answer is yes.

I can't imagine how shitty it is to have been harassed, and to then muster up
the bravery to out the perpetrator, only for the harasser to continue to earn
money on your work while they sun themselves on a beach somewhere.

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djyaz1200
Agree that's shitty. Suggest the female founders who dealt with McClure
(including and especially those NOT funded) get together and file a class
action lawsuit against the fund. Then they can own it, or at least a big piece
of it. When women take action on that scale this kind of thing will be policed
much more carefully... but it will take powerful people losing 8/9 figure
money.

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pbiggar
Good point.

I'd estimate that Dave McClure's carry is worth $25m (assumptions: funds
control 250m in investments, 20% carry, 2.5x returns, DMC has 20% ownership)

It would be tough to get an investor to agree to give up that carry. Maybe a
lawsuit is a better approach to ensure they don't profit from their
harassment.

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ig1
500Startups still have serious questions to answer regarding how they handled
this whole process as it seems to indicate deeper problems than just one
person.

Most critically they need to address the claims
([https://twitter.com/sarahkunst/status/881736309009764352](https://twitter.com/sarahkunst/status/881736309009764352))
that hush money was paid to silence victims because if that's true then it's
clear evidence of an attempt to cover up the harassment rather than dealing
with it.

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ithinkinstereo
If this is true, it makes his apology all the more insincere.

How do you continue to act this way after already settling multiple cases?

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coldtea
> _How do you continue to act this way after already already settling multiple
> cases?_

How do you continue being an alcoholic after having lost you job or partner
because of it?

~~~
ithinkinstereo
Sexual harassment and bullying others isn't the same as addiction.

Let's not categorize this type of behavior as a disease. By his own admission
he knew what he was getting at; leveraging his power to take sexual advantage
of the weak.

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notadoc
I had to follow a string of links to understand this story better, but it
sounds like this individual made advances towards coworkers and colleagues.

That got me thinking, on a nationwide basis, how many people would be
resigning if they were to resign based on making advances to coworkers?

For anyone else curious, here's a medium post from the linked article, written
by the individual, referencing his behavior of advancing on women in work
related environments.

[https://500hats.com/im-a-creep-i-m-
sorry-d2c13e996ea0](https://500hats.com/im-a-creep-i-m-sorry-d2c13e996ea0)

~~~
neuronexmachina
"Making advances" is a pretty sugar-coated way to refer to someone who's had
many reported cases of sexually harassing people who he had funding control
over.

~~~
notadoc
"Advances" is the wording used in the authors own medium post, do you have a
suggestion on how they should have phrased it?

Do you know anyone, female or male, who have been hit on, flirted with, or
sexually harassed at work by colleagues, bosses, etc? I do, I suspect it is
more common than people realize.

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gdilla
You still don't get it. It was unWANTED and inappropriate advances given the
professional relationship and setting. It's not like asking someone out at a
bar, ffs.

~~~
notadoc
OK if I "don't get it" then can _you_ explain how what you said here:

> "It was unWANTED and inappropriate advances given the professional
> relationship and setting."

is different from what I said here:

"anyone, female or male, who have been hit on, flirted with, or sexually
harassed at work by colleagues, bosses, etc"

~~~
neuronexmachina
What you described is much more general.

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minimaxir
Confirmation:
[https://twitter.com/davemcclure/status/881946412472193024](https://twitter.com/davemcclure/status/881946412472193024)

~~~
akras14
Would be better, to post that link.

Saw it on Twitter, tried to post it, my post got marked as duped, that's how I
ended up here.

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wand3r
Still haven't seen evidence of wrongdoing. 500 needs to be up front about
this. Except a Facebook message to a non employee, we're really given no
information to judge such a serious punishment

~~~
r00fus
I'm guessing while there's a there, there... it so damaging that 500startups
would lose a lot more by exposing it than trying to fix the situation and make
amends.

How would you handle this in a way that doesn't damage the reputation further?

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RickJWag
What's funny about this one is his self-righteous (and oft published)
political views. "I'm with her", indeed.

