Founders Get a Crash Course in Corporate Etiquette at Slow Ventures' Exclusive Finishing School

Slow Ventures, a venture capital firm, recently hosted a three-hour Etiquette Finishing School for founders, covering topics such as the perfect handshake, public speaking, and office decorum. The event, held at the Four Seasons in San Francisco's financial district, was attended by 50 founders who were selected from a pool of several hundred applicants. The program was free and aimed to help founders develop the skills necessary to navigate the increasingly complex and formalized tech industry. According to reports, the idea for the Etiquette Finishing School started as a joke, with Slow Ventures gauging interest at Y Combinator's Demo Day. However, the response was overwhelming, with many founders expressing a desire to learn how to present themselves in a more polished and professional manner. "Tech is no longer playful and cute," Slow Ventures general partner Sam Lessin reportedly told the audience. "It's taking people's jobs and changing environments. Everyone's threatened by it, which means you need to be like, 'I'm here and respectful.'" The event included a fashion show featuring models showcasing different looks for various occasions, as well as a closing lesson on caviar and wine. While some founders may have seen the event as a joke, others took it seriously, with one unnamed founder telling The San Francisco Standard that they attended to learn how to be "less feral." The tech industry's rapid growth and increasing formalization have created a need for founders to develop skills beyond just technical expertise. Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan reportedly told founders not to attend the event, but later posted on X that he had no issue with Slow Ventures. "You don't need finishing school," Tan wrote. "You need to build something great, make your users happy, and have craftsmanship." Tan's comments reflect the ongoing debate within the tech industry about the importance of soft skills and personal presentation. The Etiquette Finishing School is just one example of the growing recognition within the tech industry of the need for founders to develop skills beyond just technical expertise. As the industry continues to evolve and mature, it's likely that we'll see more programs and initiatives aimed at helping founders develop the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly complex and formalized environment.