Release the Kraken

The New York Times has an article today about this guy, Jesse Powell, who runs Kraken, one of the top crypto exchanges. Would you believe he also loves debate? Powell enjoys debating topics such as “who can refer to another person as the N word” and are women “brainwashed.” No comment on the latter. But apparently he loves debate so much that he started a Slack channel called “debate-pronouns,” where he suggested people should use pronouns that accord with their sex at birth, and then “shut down replies to the thread after it became contentious.”

The piece has a lot of interesting details, such as Powell suing over negative Glassdoor reviews and starting a Slack channel aimed at out-trolling 4chan. But the most interesting is a program called “Project Jet Ski,” which Powell announced at a meeting on June 1. The project was characterized as a “recommitment” to Kraken’s core values; the name comes from the implication that, if staff are unhappy with it, they can hop “on a jet ski” and head “happily to [their] next adventure!” A critical part of the program is a 31-page document outlining said values:

This month, Mr. Powell unveiled a 31-page culture document outlining Kraken’s “libertarian philosophical values” and commitment to “diversity of thought,” and told employees in a meeting that he did not believe they should choose their own pronouns. The document and a recording of the meeting were obtained by The Times.

Those who disagreed could quit, Mr. Powell said, and opt into a program that would provide four months of pay if they affirmed that they would never work at Kraken again. Employees have until Monday to decide if they want to take part.

Sounds fascinating. The Times obtained a copy of the document, but did not publish it with the piece. I, for one, would love to know what else it says. Powell tweeted a thread that outlined what it might include, such as this expert graphic:

And eloquent points like this:

But in the true spirit of open and honest debate, Powell should make those 31-pages public. We would love to discuss it with him. It could be, as Kraken puts it on their hiring page, “legendary.”