
The Pmarca Guide to Startups, Part 5: The Moby Dick theory of big companies - eposts
http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/06/the-pmarca-gu-3.html
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zach
Also, I would add that, in a big company, you should try to work with people
as high up as you can, even if you're intimidated.

People high up either say "yes" or hand you down to someone who can
definitively say "no." If they say yes, the people below them are directed to
make it happen.

People not high up enough either say "no" or hand you up to someone who can
definitively say "yes." If they say no, the people above them never hear about
it.

So clearly, dealing with people higher up improves your chances dramatically.

Brad Bird was the one who I first heard point this out: "Oftentimes the people
at the top are really fun and the people on your way up are really fun, but
there's something about a lot of middle managers -- people that don't have the
power to say yes but do have the power to say no."

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brlewis
Marc, you're definitely on a roll with these essays. One typo: quit pro quos
should be quid pro quos.

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lupin_sansei
Marc has replaced Paul and Joel as my favourite blogger. I still love P&J;,
but Marc's quality and almost daily output is tremendous.

To be fair Marc probably has years of ideas already built up, whereas P&J;
need to think of new material for each essay.

