Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employer is a scam?

Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by throwawaywork0 on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @04:45AM (#32648060)

Unless you want to do more business specifically with said investors, I would not recommend this. Whistle blowers almost always suffer and in this situation you have no moral obligation to the public but rather to some private figures. If I were you, I'd enjoy having an easy job. That said, is your company hiring?

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by cordialthank on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @04:48AM (#32648091)

After the "scary market downturn" they started hiring only people from India, Nigeria, Pakistan, other South Asian countries in order to avoid paying six figures.

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by mousetree on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @05:04AM (#32648183)

Why do they keep hiring people if there is no product to build?

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by imdsm on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @05:13AM (#32648244)

Could be that they're siloed and there is product but OP is poorly informed. If they don't work there, then how could OP truly know?

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by cordialthank on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @05:37AM (#32648405)

Didn't stress on this point, but CEO is delusional and megalomaniac. They think their plan is going to work and they keep hiring people for stuff that supposedly will build up the SaaS. They are emotionally abusive to dissidents and people who disagree. It's a lost cause.

I'm not poorly informed, otherwise I wouldn't be making this post. After everyone left I am in the most senior engineer position (lead) and there was no one left on top except for me and the CEO.

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by vlod on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @11:30AM (#32651597)

Not discounting any of the other "Danger, Will Robinson!" comments, have you considered actually building the crazy thing they want?

At the moment, it sounds like you doing BS work and chasing your own tail.

It might be more interesting to change your attitude and jump on the delusional train (which a lot of startups are tbh), take the CEO more seriously and start building exactly what they want (or at least start prototyping). I don't think anyone will criticize you for taking the initiative and having a general positive attitude and start getting shit done.

It sounds like more fun than what you're currently doing, while you think of your options.

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by cordialthank on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @01:19PM (#32652787)

I wish I could get into details but that'd give away my identity. Unfortunately this isn't possible. I tried it for months but I was sabotaged continuously by management by doing things faster than I was told (yes they actually berated me for being "fast").

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by throwawaywork0 on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @06:17AM (#32648616)

I'd recommend you get out of there in that situation. I've personally had something similar and it wasn't fun being caught in the wreckage when it turned out the CEO had lied about certain investments.

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by mousetree on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @07:06AM (#32648881)

It doesn't sound like a scam to me. It seems there is intent to actually build something, just poor execution and bad management possibly?

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by hnfong on Thursday September 01, 2022 @01:27AM (#32672351)

I'd also be worried about a defamation suit if the OP misinterpreted the situation. I mean, if I were a CEO of a struggling "startup" and somebody went around claiming I was scamming investors only because I was doing a bad job at building products, I'd definitely be talking to my lawyers about defamation...

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Re:Ask HN: Should I inform investors that my startup employe... by throwaway576652 on Tuesday August 30, 2022 @05:20AM (#32648297)

OP:

> So I was hired in this startup a year ago.

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