
Ask HN: Is unethical or nonmoral only way to create and grow startup? - guynoshyoh
There are so many startup that participate in unethical and&#x2F;or nonmoral practices.  Many YC startups are forefront of it.  In fact to put in President Underwood&#x27;s word ( House of Cards ) it is &quot;kill or be killed in politics&quot; that is practiced by many startups.<p>Here are few examples -  Uber calling Lyft rides and canceling it to affect their supply.
Uber disregarding local and city laws.<p>AirBnB spamming continiously all users who posted on Craigslist<p>Homejoy refusing to give employee status ( and eventually shut down )<p>Facebook - a stolen idea and later experimenting with people&#x27;s emotional response by modifying their news feed<p>Google -  Modifying search results in favor of those who buy from ads from adsense.<p>There are many many examples of such activities.  If you are creating something, is &quot;Hack&quot; aka &quot;FUCK YOU I WANT TO SCALE&quot; only way to grow ?<p>I am leaning towards the understanding that , Yes, this if not only, rather fastest way to grow.<p>Life is short - PG
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SyneRyder
Short answer is "no".

There are so many companies out there that you've probably never heard of,
that might be smaller scale but still doing really well for their owners &
employees, and don't resort to unethical tactics. There are businesses where
competitors actually collaborate and help each other & are friends with each
other.

Focus on yourself. Do your own thing, follow your own path. If you don't like
a tactic, don't use it.

You should check out Derek Sivers' book "Anything You Want", about the
philosophies behind his business CD Baby. I bet you'll really enjoy it & find
a kindred spirit in his approach. [1]

You might also look at "Ben & Jerry's Double Dip", "Business As Unusual" by
Anita Roddick, "Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business:
The Story of Clif Bar Inc", and "Banker To The Poor" by Muhammad Yunus. But if
you only choose one book, go with Derek's "Anything You Want" book.

[1] [http://amzn.to/1n5bylg](http://amzn.to/1n5bylg)

