Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1360IR // #c1360Synthesis

"The Chernin guys did what they said. They gave us money. They gave us credibility. They stayed out of our way. But they will run you over if they think it’s in their best interests."

— In our words · Source: Cancel Me If You Can (Dave Portnoy)

[Use when]

You're taking money from investors and want to know what to expect from them.

[Why it matters]

This is the reference Portnoy gives founders. Chernin turned a $12 million stake into about $250 million and never offered him a raise or held a celebration. Expecting loyalty would have turned a good deal into a grievance.

Filed under situations:When the other side has more leverageWhen your picture of things might be wrong

More from Cancel Me If You Can

#c1344"At this point the business model was pretty simple: if I could sell $3,400 worth of ads in the newspaper, I would break even."You're running a new venture on thin cash and the finances feel vague. #c1345"How do you sell ads for a newspaper that doesn’t exist? On promises."You need paying customers before you have a finished product. #c1346"I’d sift through all my competitors’ publications in Boston and call every single one of their advertisers every single week to poach them…You're looking for your first customers and your competitors publish who theirs are.

Same situation, different book

#c1286Watch for the market eating an OreoSomething that should have moved the other side didn't, and you're inclined to ignore it.From Trade Outside the Box #c1279The Smarties test for adultsYou're sure the other side must see what you see.From Trade Outside the Box #c1260Empathy is a working toolYou're trying to resolve a dispute without a real model of what the other side fears.From The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy #c1565The Fourfold Remedy, Desire Triage, and Static vs. Kinetic PleasureUse when auditing your personal burn rate, stripping scope creep from a product roadmap, or breaking the…From Lives of Eminent Philosophers