Venture capitalists have encountered some difficult times as of late. People with firms are looking left and right, wondering, “Why are people dropping like our LP’s?”
A letter from an ex-partner at a big Silicon Valley VC firm has recently surfaced. When the member left, he sent this to everyone within the firm, including his portfolio companies — of course, this is how it got out. You can view it below:
Dearest Purveyors of Hope, Success and Fear (“His Firm”),
By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. I’m sorry to be doing this but it’s for the best. I know it might come as a shock to you, especially as things have been going so bad lately, but I just needed some space. I think you’re swell, but we’re not meant to be. We’re just not that compatible. You’re a Cancer – I’m a Sagittarius. You like spending long nights together eating delivery food as you laugh at Kleiner Perkins for being druid, tree huggers; yet, I prefer slumber parties without Cal Tech Ph.D’s, and perhaps, even seeing my wife and kids once in a while.
It’s not you.
It’s me.
I’ve found someone else to love, and I’m going away to be with her. She likes to watch her waistline; you were always more focused on your bottom line.
It’s the small things that she does. Like holding a conversation without drooling on a blackberry, or continuously talking about investments made 18 years ago. She also gave up on making presentations with devilish skulls. She’s moved past that stage, and we’ve already talked about it. And, yes, I’m OK with her past.
We had some good times. We can totally be friends. Just don’t come to me crying at 5am like you used to. I won’t come over to see you. The only models I’ll be reviewing for the next 12 months will be un-leveraged ones, heh, heh, heh…wait, I’m not sure what that means…. See what you’ve done to me?
Anyways, I won’t make an issue of the money you owe me. I know you can’t call on it.
Take care of yourself.
Love always,
- J
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Why are there so many people who opt for the public resig letter? To me, it kind of signifies a crazy rather than a rational departure.
Thoughts?
It seems like a pretty unprofessional way to go. The resignation letter itself is pretty awesome, but sending it to EVERYONE? Not cool.
A much wiser individual than myself once gave me a little piece of advice that’s served me well: “Never burn your bridges.”
Usually as much as such a letter gets public, there is a lack of info as to who exactly sent it. That said, the person sending it in and big wants to see reactions of public and perhaps let a glimpse of internal kitchen (of VC weather this time) as can be see some blurry, tipsy and lacky refs he makes in the letter.
There is much to be judged from the letter in terms of the personality of the sender, the environment of his work and his mind..
Lastly, many VCs are as much about PR as PRs themselves..no wonder
It’s Caltech, not Cal Tech. No wonder he had to leave.