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Of course I can understand why engineers might leave in droves -- but it's all a risk they were willing to take. It's silly to be bitter than your bet didn't pa
by xyzzy_plugh 9y ago
Of course I can understand why engineers might leave in droves -- but it's all a risk they were willing to take. It's silly to be bitter than your bet didn't pay off -- few of them ever do.
- mitrandimotor 9y agoIt's easy to be bitter when management squanders a good thing.
- pcwalton 9y agoEmployees frequently don't have an accurate picture of the expected value of stock options for numerous reasons, not all of which are their fault. Silicon Valley engineers are not Homo economicus.
- xyzzy_plugh 9y agoAs an employee of a startup, I agree, but it's ultimately their responsibility. My recruiter inflated valuation, which I am still bitter about, but regardless when I signed on I realized that this is just funny money until liquidation. If a Silicon Valley engineer goes and buys a house, planning on a big payout on their options, then they're a fool.
- toomuchtodo 9y agoDid you get a copy of the cap table, liquidation preferences, etc?
- stouset 9y agoI can't even begin to understand how it's not immediately apparent to you that after five, six, or more years at a company, people might be sticking around longer than they otherwise would because it looked like they had an overwhelmingly likely chance of walking away with millions. Take that incentive away and you don't have anything to offset the burnout from the work environment there.