I am a trader by heart, started and sold a trading software firm and now i am lucky enough to get paid to spot promising startups in which i sometimes invest myself. I am not very talented, but always could make a decent living from what i did. Mostly because i could find the right guys for the job and get them to work.
It seems we are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Your work is more about the process. Mine has always been about the outcome. Your work is more about telling others what they want to hear, where mine has always been telling people what they don't want to hear, etc.
Rossi makes your skin crawl. I can see that. He does nothing by the book, bends the truth and ignores whatever process. He just focuses on the outcome (whatever the two of us imagine his ideal outcome is).
I like him for exactly the traits you hate him for.
wcg,
So let me get this straight; you describe yourself here as a venture capitalist, or something similar (trader) -like Darden, but admire Rossi because he is a rebel and screwed Darden?
And also, since you like him for his rebellious "traits" that led him to turn on Darden, may I ask how you would react were one of those "promising startups in which you sometimes invest" did the same to you?