Why everyone in tech is suddenly talking about LARPing
The term 'LARPing' has gained popularity in the tech industry to describe startup founders who prioritize social media clout and performative behavior over actual business success. Industry leaders are using the term to criticize founders who focus on image rather than building sustainable companies.
Why it matters
It reflects a growing cultural backlash within the startup ecosystem against the 'founder-influencer' archetype and performative entrepreneurship.
The term "LARP" comes from live action role play. Techies use it to denote bad founder behavior. 9:00-9:30 p.m., ET/PT Startup founders online keep calling out "LARPers." The term started as an acronym for "live action role play," but has grown to replace words like "poser." Techies use it to refer to founders who prioritize social media clout over startup success. It's time to add another word to the founder dictionary. The term "LARP" started as an acronym for live action role play . LARPers wore costumes and adopted characters, imagining a video game-like world in real life. Then the internet adopted it, making it a stand-in for terms like "poser" or "faker." Now, the term is all the rage in startup land. A LARPer is someone who's playing founder more than actually being one.
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