The former Reddit CEO and employee-turned-litigant of Kleiner Perkins, Ellen Pao, is writing a tell-all memoir on the supposed rampant toxicity of tech culture.
After her ouster at Reddit, Pao has been advocating for diversity in the tech sector through her charity, Project Include.
The memoir is being marketed as “a fearless first-person account exposing the toxic culture that pervades the tech industry and defined her experiences both as a Kleiner Perkins venture capitalist and Reddit CEO.”
But is Ellen Pao really the best spokesperson for tech toxicity?
During her failed lawsuit with Kleiner Perkins over gender discrimination, emails were released showing that Pao herself was a little toxic as an employee.
When her secretary arrived late to work after helping out her landlord, who was in a serious car crash, Pao chastised her.
It’s great that you want to be helpful to your landlord. It would be better for me if you could come to work on time. Let me know if you think differently, but I think your job should be your priority.
Pao kept a chart of resentments toward other employees and would often send negative emails about colleagues behind their backs. She also admitted under questioning that she made another female employee cry after calling her untrustworthy to her face.
A jury found against Pao’s claims of gender discrimination on all counts in March of 2015.
Pao also served briefly as the CEO of Reddit, ushering in a series of unpopular changes aimed at making the site more of a safe space for users and advertisers. She stepped down in July of 2015, after less than a year on the job.
Maybe if Pao wants to clean up the toxicity of tech culture, the charity should start at home.
