It's always a risk, but it comes with the tiny chance that the new hire will be the guy who designs the next iPod. From the employer point of view, keeping som

It's always a risk, but it comes with the tiny chance that the new hire will be the guy who designs the next iPod. From the employer point of view, keeping someone aboard who is willing to jump on every opportunity for leverage is also a risk. You might want to have the fiercest of negotiators in sales, but the same thing is not a trait you want to see in developers. Bad for their earnings, but that's how it is. The most capable developer in the world would not be a someone you want as an employee if you suspect that he could use his powers for extortion tactics. (It's bad enough already that the worst developers become "irreplaceable" without even trying)