Controversial startup PayPerPost makes another misstep this weekend – they became verbally abusive with an employee candidate who turned them down.
A couple of weeks ago we wrote about how CEO Ted Murphy took all employees on an all-expenses-paid offside to Club Med, where they got drunk, inexplicably dressed up as Native Americans (complete with red face paint) and then posted video of the whole racially offensive episode on the web.
Now this: Today we were sent an ongoing email string between PayPerPost and an engineer, Lawrence Salberg, who was steered towards the company by a headhunter. After an underwhelming interview the candidate did some research and wrote back to the headhunter that he was not interested in the job, and in fact that he was so upset that he wasted his time that he didn’t want to hear about any of the headhunter’s other opportunities, either. “Remove me from your candidacy system immediately,” Salberg said in a long email outlining the reasons he would not work at the company.
That should have been the end of it. But the headhunter forwarded Salberg’s email to PayPerPost VP Software Development Peter Wright (Update: See here), who went on the attack. “I’m shocked at some of the statements in your email to Lori” Wright said in an unsolicited email to Salberg. Other gems aimed at the job candidate:
- As for this company having no future, have you done ANY research at all?
- First you say that the only people that would work at such a company are those with no brains, no self confidence, etc etc. I take offense at that.
- The thing that amuses me most about your post though is how easily you are swayed by loud noises.
- I wish you the very best of luck in your search for a “career.”
- I know there are lots of safe little environments out there with well structured corporate ladders that you can happily spend your days climbing and climbing until eventually you retire.
Wright also spends time boasting about his own accomplishments, saying:
I’m a best selling author. I wrote the world’s best selling VIsual Basic book (and 13 others) and had a very happy career as a consultant specializing in Microsoft technologies that took me all over the world.
And so on (the entire string is available here as a pdf – it includes a number of attacks on TechCrunch as well). Wright defends the abilities of his team and technical management, which have previously been criticized as lax and unprofessional.
It’s never professional to go on the attack when someone declines your job offer. With a company as controversial as PayPerPost, there’s also a good chance the embarrassment will be forwarded to the press. The lesson here – be very careful before you take a job at this company, and if you decline, don’t even think about giving your honest opinion. And if you’re a startup looking for a smart engineer, Lawrence Salberg is still on the market.
Wow, this just keeps getting worse and worse for PayPerPost.
I’ll get the popcorn.
the dudes at PPP are coming off as real douchebags
More gossip than news. I do not see the point in keeping bashing them.
These clowns have got to be a bunch of Mac Users, only they could think so differently. We at MS respect everyone, especially our customers and assistants!
http://fakestev...er.blogspot.com
Hey Mike
This is a gossip and tabloid post. Tech Crunch can do better….
Mr. Arrington, I sometimes enjoy gossip. However, I have never considered TechCrunch a gossip rag until now, and that is not a compliment. This reads like a column written by a high school student. It is also bad karma. Listen, I love TechCrunch. I am a devoted reader, but I cringe when I read gossip articles such as this one. You include points made in Wright’s attack, but you fail to reveal what specifically Salberg wrote in his e-mail criticizing PayPerPost. You don’t even have a quote from the company. On another note, in a previous post regarding MySpace News’ search results issue, Duncan Riley obviously neglected to contact the MySpace camp for their comments.
Derek, I’m trying to embed the entire email in the post, but am having some issues with Scribd. Will be up soon.
The candidate’s email was certainly opinionated, but it was addressed solely to the headhunter. It was then forwarded to the company, and Wright responded angrily. That’s not how grown up startups behave.
At least nobody was hurt by flying chairs.
Great post – GREAT to read. But…I think I coined the phrase “High School 2.0″ here in the comments, a year or so ago. Looks like another pretty good fit.
We used to just meet behind the band hall to settle our issues.
Is posting a private email exchange how grown up “journalists” behave???
I don’t like PPP’s business model either, but how is your action here any better? Talk about despicable.
Looks to me like there should be nobody on earth who should ever trust you to have a “private phone conversation.”
is anyone really surprised? If someone is willing to break ethics on one occasion…they’ll break ethics on another
My simple question is: how did you get hold of the email? I think you are just bent on destroying PayPerPost.There is so much that goes on in email.One day, it will be your email.Take care!
I like Techcrunch but I think you have stooped so low with this post.This is gossip stuff. Please concentrate on your noble task of giving us real technical posts.
Certainly the worst post I’ve read in this website.
It’s not TechCrunch’s business (or purpose) to gossip about these stuff. I feel like there’s a personal conflict between Mike and the people at PPP.
Now tell me what is Google buying next!
PPP defenders miss the simple point here.
If you don’t want to read it in the New York Times, don’t put it in an email.
Mike, I don’t like this business of taking a purloined email and using it to fuel your personal vendetta. It just feels cheap.
Josh Stein is saying PPP is a “very real threat” to TC? How the hell does he justify that statement? By PPP lowering the tone of online discourse and dragging down the reputations of all blogs?
Also, I fear this comment thread is already being astroturfed. Look closely at the backgrounds of the commenters. #13 is a PPP client, for instance.
PPP by any account could have handled themselves better. I mean a headhunter gets sent an email, and then he forwards it and god dammit the VP software development has the time to answer an email not addressed to him? Wow, that’s really like a glass ego.
Forget the PPP business model. That’s a different issue (not that I agree that it has a future).
But if you (I mean PPP as an organization) can take the trouble of replying in the way they have done then they deserve to get on to the “news”.
Of course I agree that it would be debatable whether it should be up on something like “TechCrunch” or “FuckedCompany”. But taken the fact that TechCruch had taken over FuckedCompany (http://www.tech...ckedcompanycom/) I think in the “larger vision” of TechCrunch, the founders (I mean Arrington) would have found it fit to publish this news.
Many times readers and founders can have different visions. And the rule of “Agree to disagree” applies here.
As for me, I enjoyed the snip. PPP should grow. And readers of TechCrunch need to give Arrington a break. I mean its gossip seen in one way but is also about the HR landscape seen in an other way.
I’m pretty surprised at the negative reaction coming from a lot of these commenters. Sure, the guy who e-mailed his headhunter was being stupid, but PPP should act like a professional outfit and not make such angry responses to such job applicants.
they run that place like a fraternity.
Paul Montgomery (#17), is commenting in this thread restricted only to those people who are not PPP clients? I am a PPP client just 50,000 others, but I do take an independent opinion on issues. I have a right to be heard.
If TC has issues with PPP, they should sort those issues between themselves otherwise TC will lose credibility by making posts such as these.
@18,
I thought the Fucked Company “take over” was an April Fool’s day joke
clement did you even read the last two paragraphs of the article?
Hey Michael,
These kind of things do happen at even with matured startups. Just that you don’t get to see their emails. Leave them alone. Its getting really nasty. I don’t like to see more gossip post in TC.
He he. Looks like the FuckecCompany thing was a joke [Thanks Aaronontheweb (AjaxNinja)].
Anyway on second thoughts they should have taken it.
is it mature to point out a start-ups immature action? not very news worthy in my opinion…need i say perez?
And did you read this (though PPP seems to have removed the content of the link). Seems to be a long time fight (and reciprocal too!)
PayPerPost to Acquire TechCrunch:
http://blog.pay...30;..runch.html
“I am pleased to announce that late last night Mike Arrington and I came to an agreement whereby PayPerPost will acquire TechCrunch and all related “Crunch” properties. I am well aware of the irony of this situation given Mikes comments about PayPerPost in the past. This comes on the heels of TechCrunch’s acquisition of FuckedCompany, which was already in progress and will be part of the deal. Through it all we have been able to come to an agreement whereby Mike will continue to run the Crunch sites but PayPerPost will be able to leverage the site for its advertisers. As a result of this merger, we will soon be launching a new “PayPerCrunch” feature, whereby Advertisers will be able, at our customarily low prices, to leverage the journalistic talents of Mr Arrington and his staff to fully promote our customers products and services. “
Hehehe. This is excellent, Arrington. As much as it resembles some valleywag style tabloid gossip, this is hilariously entertaining. Thanks
Anatatara – no, that was just a fun april fools thing if I remember correctly, before they got really angry with us.
anantara (#27) the link cannot open.
things are getting worse of Pay Per Post….
http://vidsonly.blogspot.com
It doesn’t matter who you are, personal attacks or attacks whatsoever NEVER look good.
Update: Scribd is just screwed tonight, so I’ve turned the email into a pdf and have added a link above.
http://www.tech...nt/pppabuse.pdf
Perez on the phone. He wants his post back..
Sometimes you just can’t win. when I was young I turned down a silly job offer at a game company with “I’m just not the right person for the job” (i.e, it’s not you, it’s me), thinking I was being nice and diplomatic. And they just decided to spread word that I was wrong for any job.
Turns out, the only right way to turn down a job offer is to tell them they’re not offering enough money or stock, no matter how much they offer. No one seems to take that the wrong way.
In fairness to PPP, Larry sounds like a bit of an uptight-douche. Yes, PPP responded badly, but where the hell does Larry get off acting all academic and arrogant? Could he not have just said “No, Lori. And I will no longer be needing your services”? Did he really need to send a two page rant, insulting a company he’s never actually met anyone at, and telling off Lori for how wrong she was?
I hope this gets passed around — with an attitude like that, potential employers would do well to avoid him. Someone with as much panache as he likes to think he has would have simply closed the book and moved on, instead of creating such a dramatic scene.
honestly, from everything i’ve seen / heard / read / etc ted murphy seems like a giant d-bag. ppp is extremely unethical, and i anxiously await the day they cease to exist. its karma; what goes around comes around.
show down! I guess when a company is always on the defensive it can get pretty heated around the office. Gotta stick to the one day rule on emails. Wait 24hrs before responding if you think you are going to rip into someone. Cool off then if you still need to email go at it with ease.
I liked this (from that 10 page pdf)
########################
Personally, I don’t think being a broker between bloggers and advertisers qualifies as “changing the landscape of online advertising”, but even if it did, it hardly equates to “changing the world”. I thought the self-appointed gurus at Apple were the only ones egotistical enough to use that phrase – and they aren’t doing it anymore either (not with a 5 to 10 percent market share). Be excited. Be happy about your work.
I just think people are a little “over the top” when they start making prophetic statements inline with Biblical writ. Especially tech companies that have been around less than 5 years.
#######################
And this
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hmmm… if I was so “easily swayed” by loud noises, I would think this email of yours would have been enough to turn me back to the good side of the Force. Apparently, Arrington is a bit louder than you. I’m no fan of Arrington (personally).
According to the Wired story, he sits in front of his computer 17 hours a day in that dump of a home that he rents and doesn’t even have a woman in his life. But at least he admits it and doesn’t flatter himself. He is pretty knowledgeable about what he writes about. And even though he might have been a bit out of line (professionally) to call Ted the most evil person in the room, it was clearly said with a bit of tongue-in-cheek, plus the room was all aware of the differences between Ted and Michael beforehand. But, Ted stooped right down to his level and, arguably, even worse, by calling him an “ass” and the videos – and meaning it – and doing it behind the guy’s back on his videos.
Nice. That’s a guy I want to work for. Yeah, right!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What’s unethical about PPP? If a person has an opinion they haven’t gotten around to writing, and the availability of a payment to do it moves them to, so what? The only unethical thing that could happen is for someone to portray their opinion as being something it’s not in exchange for money.
It’s all sorted out in a writer’s credibility, with or without money. To call the model ‘despicable’ is pretty ridiculous, as though without money all blog writers would just be writing with the purest and most forthright voice of honesty and integrity, uncolored and unbiased by the world outside.
If I am dumb enough not to be able to tell when a writer sells his editorial opinion to the highest bidder, that’s on me, not on the writer or on PayPerPost.
how come no noise is being made about rapleaf. Every time someone “searches” for your email, they spam you telling you that you should create an account to so can “control” your profile… kind of similar to how plaxo used to tell you the best way to avoid their spam is to join.
And if your email isn’t in their profile, they spider the web to create a profile for year email. I searched my emails out of curiosity, 5 minutes later i had a profile… thanks rapleaf..
i’ve heard good things about the guys at rapleaf, but its kind of a shady system.
1. I don’t see anything wrong in what Wright said. Your headline is misleading. What Wright said is far from being abusive. On the contrary, Wright comes across as passionate and straight talking. Something very much needed in this politically correct sugar coated world.
2. What Salberg said is not on. How can you tell a company that it has no future. I can see myself or Wright or anyone else with passion and feelings reacting to that.
3. Michael who are you to pass judgment on anyone’s business. Grow up. Your world is way too black n white
actually engineer attacks the company and whole its stuff more than company does anything to him:
‘the only people that would work at such a company are those with no brains, no self confidence, etc etc.’
wtf, where does he get the right to call all people working for a company like that, and u defend him Michael? You are completely biased on this subject, and actually here there is no news or anything to be written about techcrunch, stop using this blog for your personal conflicts, you’ve got crunchnote’s for that dont u? you are very successful in last two years and congrats on techcrunch40, have watched all videos i found on session, but dont let your ego lead you to mistakes.
u hire this guy and he doesn’t agree with u expect to see it on techcrunch
HaHa, everyone should read the pdf before commenting. Amazing!!
And really, all sides come out of this looking poorly. Salberg, in a “so-called” private email between him and this dubious headhunter had a massive rant. Right or wrong in his opinions (and holy cow they are some strong opinions!!!) he would have expected it to stay between him and the recruitment firm.
The fact that Lori forwarded this email to PPP is an ethical issue she has to live with.
I don’t mind Wright writing back and defending PPP – although he does do so with a sort of arrogance and kool aid effect. What’s surprising is that he even bothered to waste his time replying. Seems very think-skinned, imo.
1. I would NOT hire Larry to work at my startup if he was the only person that applied – and he agreed to work for free. “It’s a JOB.” was one of his many great quotes.
2. I would hire 10 Larry’s before I would work for PPP. Look at the “Reality Show”. It is sad to watch. This place is a time bomb.
3. TC should let them fade into obscurity. The only time that I remember they exist is when I see them mentioned here. Who cares if a bunch of stay at home moms want to shill products on their half rate blogs anyway?
Sorry, forgot to post this:
http://rockstar...tars/index.html
It’s all propaganda I tell you, with a bit of drama included.
For PPP, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
Once again, par for the course. If you can’t see through Ted Murphy you’re probably one of the people asking “what’s wrong with the model?”
Note to PPP: Calacanis didn’t “change his entire opinion of PPP” on his podcast. He was in such a state of shock / bliss that he was actually able to debase Ted Murphy with the Calacanis brand to the forehead that he was was simply pouring on the thickest and most patronizing praise of PPP ever. If you can watch that podcast and think that Calacanis “changed his mind” and don’t get the sarcasm, you should think twice about playing the game…. because you WILL get beat. Even if you’ve written 13 books and think having a monster truck with your company name on it is really, REALLY, cool……
I USED TO LOVE TECHCRUNCH
and then came this post….Looks like a an effort from Mike to settle some personal scores… And the power of media ( He writes for a popular website) has been used once again.
TECHCRUNCH CAN DO BETTER