Just telling it like it is. I could have lied, but how does that help anyone?
I'm a firm believer that with gender issues you can either whine about it, or you can find the positives in it. If your whole startup depended on you getting a visa approved, you'd use anything at your disposal to get the job done. If that meant fake crying, then so be it. It worked.
Immature? Starting a company in another country when you're 19-21 is hardly the mark of someone that's immature. She's not giving anybody a bad name - she's got a handful of experiences and accomplishments that will help her career immensely.
And comparing her to the Collison brothers? 2 incredibly smart guys that were well-accomplished and millionaires before entering YC?
Nikki, I really enjoyed the write-up. Looking forward to see where your next adventure takes you.
It's very easy for one to snipe at single quotes in any article reflecting on failure. It's unfair to isolate Nikki's honest reflections on gender, failure and emotions and call her "grossly immature" and "a dud". When YC interviewed her she had traction, persistence and appeared to be building something that people want. Even though Nikki's first startup may have failed very visibly, she's been graceful enough to help us learn from it.
It takes a lot of courage to write a post like the one she did. It is much easier to criticize her from a throwaway HN account. Why don't you back up your criticism with a real identity?
That's a little harsh there fellow. And it sounds a little on the jealous side of the opportunities she arranged for herself as well.
I think of myself at 22 (I'm nearly double that) and I know damn well I was immature. I doubt I would have made it as far as she did without blowing something up at that age. I understand some of the reasons behind investing in such young founders, and not to be ageist, but nothing like maturity set in for me until my mid-late 20's. Before that I was basically a big kid who was smart enough to get into trouble and old enough to buy beer. I was arrogant, undisciplined, self righteous, and judgmental while lacking sound judgement myself. Your experience may have been different, but I sort of doubt it.
