Iterable is marketing company startup that is receiving a whole lot of publicity, the goal of any new company, especially one that specializes in marketing.
The problem though, is it’s because their co-founder and CEO was fired for taking LSD at work. Yeah, you read that correctly. While some bosses grab that extra cup of coffee in the afternoon or maybe a Red Bull, Justin Zhu was fired for micro-dosing on LSD before a meeting in 2019.
Here’s the problem with LSD; it’s an illegal drug, and even though Zhu claims he did it to increase focus, it’s the type of behavior that is frowned upon by board members of billion dollar companies.
Andrew Boni co-founded the company with Zhu, and he’s been elevated to company CEO, because the LSD use by his partner “undermined the board’s confidence in Justin’s ability to lead the company going forward.”
The company has some big time clients, including DoorDash and Zillow.
Forbes ranked it No. 89 this year on their list of Best Startup Employers.
Silicon Valley historians will tell you that LSD and other psychedelic drugs are not uncommon in the tech industry in Northern California. Steve Jobs has acknowledged experimenting with LSD, and literally said that taking it was “one of the most important things in my life.”
Maybe that’s why Jobs was never selected to tape a PSA on the dangers of drug use.
Even buttoned up Bill Gates publicly acknowledged taking LSD earlier in his career. Apparently the Microsoft board never knew or didn’t care.
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