Spend some time around sailors or classic car restorers. They'll really freak you out.

"she" is also often used when referring to countries, though the only reason for it (and for vehicles) that I've found is tradition. English is strange.

I used a gendered pronoun in the second sentence to create mystery in the lede (if didn't already know it was about a company being sold when you hit the post, you don't mind out until further down) and go back to "it" afterward.

I am neither a sailor nor into classic cars but I refer to all boats and all vehicles (not just ones I own or feel affinity towards) as "she." Always, always, always.

"She's my baby" is a common expression for anything that you value highly - I could totally see someone referring to their company with female pronouns. Feels very natural to my ear.

Gendered pronouns for objects may be considered normal in those fields, but they are not considered normal in business.

I upvoted GP because I dislike seeing them used to refer to corporations.

Good job we don't speak French then.

I don't think the people who found successful startups are the type who agonize over all the possible minutiae that could be percieved as offensive to someone, somewhere.

Objects of devotion are often referred to as if they were women.

"The Sea is a harsh mistress." "He's married to his job."

Does it bother you when people refer to non-children as children? "That boat is his baby."

Some languages use pronouns differently. Dutch people sometimes use "he" or "she" when referring to objects even when speaking English, because they are used to doing that in Dutch. So it could be that English is not his first language.

He's hetero and women are the object of his intimate love. It's natural for him to attach female gender to the focal points of his love. In other words, if you respect LGBT rights, you also have to respect hetero rights. Not making a political stance here. Just stating the obvious IMO.

A woman referring to a company as "he" or "him" is just as weird, in my opinion. This isn't a gender issue, it's an anthropomorphizing issue.

Welcome to the English language. Enjoy your stay.

> Just stating the obvious IMO.

Well, I wish I could "just state the obvious" in such an articulate and eloquent manner. You have an excellent writing.

Sounds like the company is the object of his intimate love.

It is. And that kind of obsession can lead to disasters for human relationships. It's very complicated. I'm sure if there was a way to have sex with their startups they would.

You're in the wrong bubble, fuckedcompany was 15 years ago.