I was employee # 10, the fourth software engineer. We (a 30 person company) were acquired by a much larger company (600 people), with whom I stayed for 3 more y

I was employee # 10, the fourth software engineer. We (a 30 person company) were acquired by a much larger company (600 people), with whom I stayed for 3 more years. I received a decent retention package (walked away with ~$250K in cash from equity when I left, plus the 3 years worth of increased salary). From the day the acquisition was announced until we switched offices, however, it was nerve-wracking. We were all convinced that we were going to get laid off, no matter how many times the leadership said we wouldn't. (I mean, what else are they going to say, right?) It turned out that our fears weren't realized, and things were OK after all. There was a reshuffling of leadership, and the former CEO was let go, but everyone else pretty much stuck around for a relatively long time. I was the last of the original team to leave. People started leaving within 3 months, and pretty much every 3-6 months another person would leave. I didn't mind it so much. Our new parent company didn't meddle too much until the end of my stay there. By the time I left, the company had grown to 2500+ employees, and I had been with the company longer than 95% of the employees. Kinda crazy. My advice during an acquisition would be to a) get your boss to fight for you and push for a great retention package, b) polish up your resume, c) hope you don't need B because the new company is awesome. If they suck or they meddle too much or they don't actually share your personal/team values, it's time to leave. Of course, the best advice is to be C-level, so you get a lot more than regular employees. ;) I enjoyed my stay at the new company, but they acquired another company whose values I did not share, and that's when it was time to leave for me. Good luck.