Can You Trust An Early-Stage VC With a HIR and EIR?

I think you can trust VC firms because they are <i>incentivised</i> to not steal your idea. In fact, they see that many ideas there will probably be 4-5 entrepreneurs pitching them the same idea potentially with the same/slightly different spin on it.<p>By <i>incentivised</i>, I mean that if a VC firm is known to steal ideas then entrepreneurs, will generally avoid them (especially if the VC firm that stole the idea was an early-staged VC) which means that their deal flow will dry up – something no VC firm wants.<p>Having an EIR and/or HIR allows a VC firm to provide their portfolio companies with a better level of service. VC firms are providing more than just money, they’re providing help with resources which are/maybe too early for a startup to have and when you do need them they’re helping you fill those roles – specifically they’re providing things like finance, marketing, HR, PR help etc and having an EIR and/or HIR increases the amount of service they have offer to their portfolio companies.

I was an EIR once. The thought of copying someone's idea never even vaguely occurred to me - indeed, I was taken on board to further develop a preexisting idea. May not be true at less reputable venture firms, but in general the maxim of not worrying too much about people stealing your idea still applies.<p>That said, it's the first time I hear of HIRs, and I don't think retaining such people at VCs makes any sense, precisely because this concern seems more real. It's cool if the VCs themselves have hacker backgrounds of course, but having a full time hacker on board is another matter.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a post where there will be much " strategic " silence in terms of comments and loads of up-votes.

If the team is good, no amount of competition will kill a company with a good idea. Think about it this way: how many great products and services do you use that have no competition? If your idea and team are worth investing in, then no one will be able to stop you by "stealing" the idea.

Can someone explain to me what a HIR and EIR would do at a VC?

Please stop writing this sort of junk:<p>"Ideas are valueless, it is all about execution. Anyone who says differently is either misinformed or unable to execute."

It is so much more likely that your product is bad because you avoid telling people about it than your product idea is copied and crushed by another upstart

It happens. Personal experience. That said, if you do your homework on the team you can minimize the probability.<p>Doesn't minimize the sting sadly.

i see a lot of "the VCs are incentivized against stealing..."<p>what will happen is the HIR/EIR will take an idea that they haven't invested in yet (heard during a pitch, maybe), and incorporate it into a company they HAVE invested in.