This week, Slow Ventures hosted a three-hour “Entire Etiquette School” that covered topics equivalent to the perfect handshake, public speaking, and office decor. There was even a fashion show where models showed off different styles for different occasions, followed by a final lesson on caviar and wine.
According to the San Francisco Standard. that several hundred founders applied to the free program held at the Four Seasons in SF’s Financial District, and 50 founders were accepted. Most of the participants were men.
Apparently the idea began as a joke when Slow Ventures expressed interest during Y Combinator’s Demo Day. And while YC CEO Garry Tan reportedly told the founders not to attend the event, Tan posted on X that he “has nothing against Slow Ventures,” writing, “You don’t have to go to school. You have to build something great, make your users happy, and demonstrate your craftsmanship.”
One anonymous founder told The Standard they attended classes to learn how to be “less feral.”
“Technology is no longer fun and cute,” Slow Ventures general partner Sam Lessin told the audience. “It’s taking people’s jobs and changing the environment. Everyone is at risk because of it, which means we have to say, ‘I’m here and I’m being respectful,’ not ‘I’m here and I’m being intentionally disrespectful.'”