Completely agree. A simple rule of thumb is to treat everyone as guilty till proven innocent.
Proven innocent: close friends you'd trust with your children or your money, colleagues you've been through the crucible with (you know the measure of each other), YC and other small companies with a strong rep built over years and a simple management structure that isn't likely to be co-opted, etc.
Gut feeling = wishful thinking + rose-tinted glasses. Ignore it.
I disagree. I always trust people unless (or until) they've proven themselves untrustworthy. This may sound naive, but it's what works for my style of doing business, which hinges on mutual trust and almost over-the-top openness.
Here's what "guilty until proven innocent" misunderstands: without trust, the relationship is doomed regardless of whether the mistrust is justified or not. If I don't trust someone, I don't do business with them, period. And if I subscribed to your "simple rule," there would be practically nobody I could do business with.
Proven innocent: close friends you'd trust with your children or your money, colleagues you've been through the crucible with (you know the measure of each other), YC and other small companies with a strong rep built over years and a simple management structure that isn't likely to be co-opted, etc.
Gut feeling = wishful thinking + rose-tinted glasses. Ignore it.