When Entrepreneurs Distort the Truth

Kyle Jensen, associate dean at the Yale School of Management, has seen firsthand just how tempting it is for entrepreneurs to lie. As a startup founder himself, he says they have to be always "on" and ready to promote their venture. Another reason they’re incentivized to exaggerate is that while many startups fail, successes can become billion-dollar enterprises. Finally, Jensen argues, misrepresenting is relatively easy to get away with in a field of unproven potential. He talks through infamous examples of entrepreneurs distorting the truth and how to change startup culture for the better. Jensen is a coauthor of the HBR article "Entrepreneurs and the Truth."

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HBR IdeaCast
Episode 813

When Entrepreneurs Distort the Truth

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A conversation with Yale senior lecturer Kyle Jensen about how startup culture incentivizes bad founder behavior.

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August 10, 2021

Kyle Jensen, associate dean at the Yale School of Management, has seen firsthand just how tempting it is for entrepreneurs to lie. As a startup founder himself, he says they have to be always “on” and ready to promote their venture. Another reason they’re incentivized to exaggerate is that while many startups fail, successes can become billion-dollar enterprises. Finally, Jensen argues, misrepresenting is relatively easy to get away with in a field of unproven potential. He talks through infamous examples of entrepreneurs distorting the truth and how to change startup culture for the better. Jensen is a coauthor of the HBR article “Entrepreneurs and the Truth.”

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This article is about ENTREPRENEURSHIP

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