In a parallel universe Weedmaps would have taken full advantage of their huge head start in the Cannabis Industry and be the largest and best player in the business. In a parallel universe free T-shirts and lunches would have been backed up by a genuine culture, a safe and trusted place to work, a culture where real values would have created a tangible family type organization. In the same parallel universe, the company would have been championed by a well thought out plan; a plan that would not allow itself to be derailed by self-serving individuals who had been placed in positions of leadership only to run around shooting holes in the plan by furthering their own private agendas. In a parallel universe those individuals would have been held accountable by a system of over-site and accountability and then duly removed. In a parallel universe such a well thought out and supported plan would have not involved the blind hire, hire, hire and hire some more policy, followed the inevitable fire, fire, fire and fire some more consequences.
Sadly, Weedmaps does not live in that parallel universe, some of the best talent (the workers) were let go and the people shooting holes in the hull of the ship were retained to wreak further damage. What is most disappointing is that Weedmaps has allowed themselves to become a living cliché of what the naysayers have been waiting for, a stoner wandering from one room to another and not being able to recall why they were there or what they were supposed to be doing. There is no substitute for well-educated and balanced leadership and sound hiring practices. I will never forget the almost jocular way that the HR and legal representatives conducted the "role call" of the people that were about to be informed "that this was to be their last day at Weedmaps", smiling at each other as if it were all a game, and the gargantuan security guards that were in place to help people find their way to the exit.
