

Ask HN: How do you fight elitism in startups? - diminium

How do you fight elitism in startups?
======
se85
I have dealt with it in the past by using their egos against them to force
them to be accountable for their actions to the point where they back
themselves into a corner which is usually when the lies and deceit start
becoming very noticeable which gives me all the reasons I need to remove them.

I've never met someone that was an elitist and not full of crap.

The most 'elite' people I've ever had the pleasure to know were intact very
humble about it so whenever I come across someone who acts elite but is not at
all humble about it they usually don't last too long because I see this as an
attitude problem that can and should only be solved by the individual.

~~~
diminium
What would you do if you aren't a founder with limited control but you've
noticed it growing among the company?

~~~
andrewcooke
is elitism really the right word? it sounds like you're mad at something and
using the word "elitist" because it's the first thing that comes to mind.

what i would suggest doing is sitting down and thinking very carefully about
what has happened and what annoys you. make a list on paper if that's the way
your brain works. tease out all the details and your emotions.

i would guess, if you do that, that (1) you'll see that the "elitist" part is
largely emotional related to how you feel and (2) that you can actually some
real problems at a lower level (like being rude, or lazy, or incorrect, or not
giving credit, or whatever). once you have more detailed lower level problems
you can think about how to address those.

tldr - "elitist" is an emotional "catch-all" phrase that isn't helping you or
anyone else here. you need to do some work and think through in more detail
what happened. once you do that you'll have a clearer idea how to continue.

tldrtldr - only once you see things clearly can you fix them.

------
jpdevereaux
Fight elitism by getting rid of the elitists. A successful startup is not
fueled by egos, but by hard work, dedication, and cooperation. It's perfectly
normal to feel good about yourself if you've done (and continue to do) those
things, but those who do not tend to become elitist.

------
digitalWestie
What kind of elitism do you mean?

------
pvdm
Startups by definition are elitist.

------
zekenie
example?

