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In his viral post, Prince detailed the encounter, recalling how Khosla expressed admiration for him while simultaneously questioning the capabilities of his co-founders, Michelle Zatlyn and Lee Holloway. According to Prince, Khosla proposed that if he were to dismiss them, he would offer him all their stock. "I think the charitable read was it was a test of my character. But I was so offended that we never spoke again. Literally blocked his number," Prince stated, highlighting the impact of Khosla's comments on their professional relationship.
In response to the allegations, Khosla did not specifically address the incident but defended his approach to providing feedback to entrepreneurs. He emphasized his commitment to offering "brutal honesty" in his assessments, stating, "Apologies, I may sometimes be wrong, but I will always give entrepreneurs my best and honest opinion, popular or not." Khosla, 71, acknowledged that while his opinions may be perceived as harsh, he believes that such candor is essential for founders to make informed decisions.
The discussion sparked by Prince's post led to a wave of responses from other entrepreneurs, many of whom supported Khosla's direct approach. Sudheesh Nair, a founder based in San Francisco, remarked that Khosla does not coddle entrepreneurs and is focused on what is best for the company. Similarly, Kaz Nejatian, a Canadian CEO, encouraged founders to accept Khosla's advice, describing it as a "no-brainer" when he offers support.
Vinod Khosla, who founded
