Slow Ventures hosted a three-hour “Etiquette Finishing School” this week. The program covered topics such as the perfect handshake, public speaking, and office decorum. A fashion show featured models displaying different looks for various occasions, and the event concluded with a lesson on caviar and wine.
According to reports, a few hundred founders applied for the free program, which was held at the Four Seasons in San Francisco’s financial district. Fifty founders were accepted, and most of the attendees were male.
The idea for the event reportedly began as a joke, with Slow Ventures gauging interest at Y Combinator’s Demo Day. While YC CEO Garry Tan reportedly advised founders not to attend, he later posted that he has no issue with Slow Ventures. He wrote that founders do not need finishing school, but instead need to build something great, make users happy, and have craftsmanship.
One unnamed founder told reporters that they attended to learn how to be less feral.
Slow Ventures general partner Sam Lessin addressed the audience, stating that tech is no longer playful and cute. He explained that it is now taking people’s jobs and changing environments, which makes everyone feel threatened. He concluded that founders need to present themselves as present and respectful, rather than present and intentionally disrespectful.