Chris Dixon has a post about how being nice is a competitive advantage in VC. At the same time I happened to be reading a post on Karma and the Lean Startup by Kevin Dewalt.
Essentially they are both saying the same thing; following the golden rule is important. People tend to forget that at times, but it really does pay dividends. Especially in a culture where social feedback is easy to find. In the past you could act like a jerk and only a small group of people would hear about it. With sites like TheFunded and LinkedIn it becomes much easier for people to find out what your previous business associates think of you.
I think it's a good point, and I think we should all try to make being nice/karma a bigger advantage going forward. The no asshole rule should apply to the entire start-up community. Don't take money from people you don't like the same way you wouldn't hire someone you don't like. Feedback loops work.
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