The recent uproar over Daniel Brusilovsky’s termination from TechCrunch due to extortion and bribery allegations has been a hot topic this weekend.
I’m not writing to share my opinion about TechCrunch, Daniel or what many have been calling the “BRU-ha-ha”. I want to write about a bigger issue, something that’s upset me.
Far too many have written off Daniel’s actions as “a sign of how corrupt Silicon Valley is these days” and “proof that teens shouldn’t be allowed to have such high media positions.” They use his age and his relative achievements as justification.
This post is an open plea to the media, tech and business communities, those involved in the recent events surrounding TechCrunch, and those who have ever worked with or come across myself or other young people setting their sights higher than their peers.
Take age out of the equation.
Age is simply a number. It does not apply to the things one can achieve or the internal drive that one possesses. The more you focus on age, the more those achievements and that drive become completely irrelevant.
People are people. People screw up. There are adults who have committed similar if not worse crimes, and there are kids who have been in similar if not higher positions and upheld an incredibly professional reputation. This is true regardless of “how messed up and corrupted Silicon Valley is these days.”
Daniel’s age is no excuse for his actions. His actions are not worsened because of his age. By choosing the entrepreneurial path and by placing himself in a journalistic position, he put himself on a level playing field with the adults that surrounded him, and accepted all connected responsibilities, liabilities and risks.
When I see coverage saying that Daniel is an example of what happens when youth are allowed to succeed, I am extremely disheartened, because this directly insults the simply outstanding work that so many people under the age of 20 have done, in addition to my own. Age simply is not a factor in this, or any similar situation.
It is entirely inappropriate for anyone to pull out a single instance and use the actions of one individual as justification to invalidate an entire community. Daniel is not the only teen involved in the tech or business space (his company and conference prove that), and his screw-up does not mean that anybody should be denied the chance to be successful simply because of their age.
Teens in the media, tech and business spaces everywhere should take this as a warning. Though some protest this notion (I’m protesting against those protesters), Daniel Brusilovsky is being held to the same standard any adult journalist would, as he should be.
When one rejects the norms society puts in place, they cannot expect to revoke that rejection when things suddenly turn bad.
Though those who are underage and “working” should absolutely have supervisors – mentors or guides to help them along the way – your actions are entirely your own.
If you make a mistake, you are responsible. You face the same consequences the rest of the world does. Even if your “inexperience” or “lack of understanding” played a role, they cannot and will not act as a pass of any kind. If that is the case, maybe you should have thought more carefully about sitting down at the big kids’ table.
I want to send one more warning to wunderkids everywhere: Do not, under any circumstances, make your age the key to your success or notability. That card expires, and fast.
You can and will gather buzz because of your age. That’s natural, that’s good, and you should take advantage of it while you have it. That buzz is unique to this space and not many people get that privilege.
However, age is a number. You are a person, not a wunderkid. You are a person whose actions must stand for themselves.
What is left after, one day, your “look at the adorable youngster in a suit” bubble finally pops will be the true measure of your value and success.
