https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...
https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&sor...
This is obviously not an article about startup growth at all costs; it's the story of what's been happening to a startup in a war zone. I don't think it's in very good taste to lecture people who are going through that, let alone toss cliché internet swipes like "this reads like a satire", which are against the site guidelines anyhow.
Disagree. I find it very helpful to be busy during stressful times. Otherwise you are just endlessly thinking about the war and incessantly checking news sources.
I can't even imagine the mental pressure these folks are under.
Hopefully, this is not the case. We were not pushing people during such heart-breaking times, on the opposite, they needed work as a distraction and spent at least 30% of work time lately on volunteering projects, eg. designing for non-profits. This gave an additional sense of purpose to being productive and stay strong.
Where are you getting this take from? The founder calling the shots seems to be Ukrainian. The entire article is about them doing everything they can to take care of their team and their country.
And as for why they keep working, his account of the opinion of his female employees hiding in bunkers to reduce the chance of rape:
> I asked them to rest and take care of themselves & their relatives, but they told me that work kept them mentally stable.
That's where this "take" comes from. The fact that the founder is Ukrainian, and instead of addressing the immense geopolitical complexities of the turmoil in which he & his countrymen find themselves, they exploit the pain to give benefit and PR to their technology startup.
Either the situation in Ukraine is not quite as dire as the post suggests, or the founder is insane. Either way, he's a liar and a manipulative person who has their priorities backwards.
Actual wars do not allow for venture capital based software firms to take hold. For fuck's sake, when the US bombed Iraq senselessly for two straight years, they managed to blow up an entire Al Jazeera location along with the hopes and dreams of all the citizenry there. There are hardly any young men anymore in that country thanks to us.
Technology has not improved that much over the last two decades to make the theater of war any different today.
The clearest framing of this for me is that the religion of Silicon Valley is primarily founded in avoidant behaviors and artificial restrictions on healthy behavior.
I hope you all stay safe and find healing.