Capitalist Note - I'm re-running this post for a couple of reasons: 1) I was reminded last week that hard emails generally have neutral to negative results (suggesting maybe you ought to coach face-to-face), 2) I just love Andreessen's response to the barb (F-you, signed - your CEO), and 3) My partner at Kinetix (Shannon Russo) reminded me last week that the minion who got snarky with Andreessen is now a partner with MA in a Venture Capital firm called .. you guessed it...Andreessen-Horowitz (who is a commenter also addressed for me last year).

Should you get snarky with the CEO via email?  I would seem a high risk/high return proposition....

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I'm Gen X, which means I'm...ahem...maturing...

One of the things I've learned?  Email wars don't really benefit anyone.  I know, I know, you're right about your issue.  No one cares, especially if you start heaving email barbs around Outlooksphere.  Especially if you try to call out those who outrank you, even with a veiled barb.

Case in point, this direct report of Marc Andreessen, who thought he had the high ground, as reported in Fortune:

"Ben Horowitz was toiling as an unheralded product strategist at Netscape Communications when he opened a scathing e-mail from his boss, Marc Andreessen. It was the winter of 1996; Netscape's public offering, several months earlier, had ignited the dotcom craze, and co-founder Andreessen had just appeared on Time's cover, sitting on a throne, feet bare -- the very portrait of a cocky 24-year-old tech wunderkind.

But Horowitz was irked to learn that Andreessen had leaked news to a trade publication about an upcoming software release Horowitz's team had been working on. So Horowitz sent the Netscape co-founder a note that simply said, "I guess we're not going to wait until March 7" -- the date of the planned announcement.

The blast back from Andreessen: "We are getting killed killed killed by Microsoft! You're destroying the value of the company and it's 100% server product management's fault. I'm just trying to help. Next time, do the f***ing interview yourself. F*** you. Marc."

Hello... Questions?  No one wins in email wars, except maybe those who have so much power they can tell you that without fear of reprisal.

Thinking about sending the email?  Don't.  Just Don't....

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or maybe you should.... KD