Do More Faster India, 2nd Edition

Chapter 32Two Strikes and You Are Out

Brad Feld

Brad is a partner at Foundry Group and one of the cofounders of Techstars.

I live my life by a simple rule that I call the “Screw Me Once” rule. I permit everyone I work with to screw me over once. When this happens, I confront them, forgive them, and move on. However, if they screw me over a second time, then I’m done with them. Forever.

While the definition of “screw me” is vague, I put it in the category of deceitful or immoral behavior. The phrase “screw me” is deliberately aggressive and hostile in this context; behavior that qualifies to be labeled “screw me” is also deliberately aggressive and hostile.

I don’t consider someone letting me down, not following through on a commitment, or failing at something as falling into this category. Failure is a fundamental part of entrepreneurship and I embrace it as part of the process. I fail often, and I expect people whom I work with to fail also—either dramatically, or in lesser ways such as not following through on commitments. That’s the startup life, and I accept that.

There are other behaviors that are not good, but don’t warrant a “screw me” label. For example, there’s systemic behavior where the person doesn’t correct themselves, such as an inability to get closure on things, or a regular mismatch between the expectations that one sets and what one delivers. Those behaviors become problems for me, but they are not in the screw me category. Instead, those types of behaviors ...