To do politics or not do politics? Tech startups are divided
I another problem is this can also lead to not being involved in the local community.<p>In San Francisco, the collective &quot;tech industry&quot; has long been demonized for various things. IMO, some fair, some not. &quot;Google Buses&quot; taking space at MUNI stops was one for quite a while. Contributing to increasing housing costs is a long time favorite.<p>But a lot of these come from a culture where you build your company on top of the infrastructure provided by the local community and government. Then build a very successful business on top of that, but have minimal engagement with the local government and community. So you create a perception that you&#x27;re just taking, and not actually part of the local community.<p>It seems to me that the Coinbase case just doubles down on this attitude.<p>In contrast, Salesforce has the largest building in San Francisco named after them, and a huge urban park. I don&#x27;t see them getting dragged into the anti-tech sentiment. Because I think they&#x27;ve effectively engaged with the local community and given back a lot.<p>They have a culture of volunteer work, strongly encouraging employees to take time off to volunteer for local causes. They also donate to many local causes. Marc Benioff is certainly involved in politics, and advocating for specific ideas and policies. But because him and his company engage in various ways, and make substantial philanthropic contributions, they are usually respected for it.