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Here's a link to the Techcrunch comments mentioned in the NYT blog post: http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/06/skype-recruits-yahoo-engineering-exec-for-key-technolo

by BobbyH 16y ago

Here's a link to the Techcrunch comments mentioned in the NYT blog post: http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/06/skype-recruits-yahoo-engineering-exec-for-key-technology-role/#comments http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/06/skype-recruits-yahoo-engine...

dcurtis 16y ago
The comments on that article are fascinating. If you start with the link above, you'll see a bunch of really brutal comments about Yarlagadda (they seem suspect, but there are so many of them, it's hard to tell). If you continue through the pages, though, you can watch as the thread becomes an outlet for Skype employees angry about the decision and discussing what happened culturally at Skype after the guy was hired. Skype employee responses: http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/06/skype-recruits-yahoo-engineering-exec-for-key-technology-role/comment-page-2/#comments http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/06/skype-recruits-yahoo-engine... Here's a post from "Anonymous Designer" that is telling: "Two engineers gave notice today and another one quit earlier in the week. I am sad because it looks like Madhu is quick to have a negative impact on our company. The engineers here are not happy with this recent hire and have been very vocal. HR is talking to each and every engineer 1:1 so that they don't loose anymore over this. While I am in design and less impacted the environment is very tense. Makes me question whether it makes sense to stay working at Skype. I haven't talked with Madhu but he is definitely rubbing a lot of people I respect the wrong way and quite obviously doesn't understand our culture. Hope there is a resolution soon so I can focus on pixels and not whether I am wasting my time." And another from "Skype Developer": "Madhu presented yesterday for an hour and didn't say anything. Didn't really address comments here and didn't show any technical depth. Josh what have you done? Are we really follow this guy? May be Dan was right to leave. Look out for good Skype engineers on the market. The only exec I saw at Skype that admitted a mistake was Dan. And he did it in front of his whole org. Josh it is your turn. Convince Dan to stay. Fix this. Is the board listening?" ---- The later responses -- which were posted several days later -- discussing internal Skype politics lead me to believe the brutal comments are at least partially genuine.
- flatulent1 16y ago
  Back in 2009 he wrote Steps to Success see his blog: http://madhuyarlagadda.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=2 http://madhuyarlagadda.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-...
nl 16y ago
The TechCrunch article and comments are over a month old now. Given that, I don't think he lost his job just because of the comments. Perhaps there is a slight confusion of cause & effect here.
- bbatsell 16y ago
  Of course not. If a company's execs fired someone based on anonymous comments that could easily have all been made by a single person with a vendetta, it would be one of the most ludicrous things I've ever heard. What is far more likely to have happened is that they were blindsided by the backlash and it made them scrutinize him & his actions much more than they normally would to see if the comments were legitimate or not. Apparently it was decided that they were.

by BobbyH 16y ago

dcurtis 16y ago

The comments on that article are fascinating. If you start with the link above, you'll see a bunch of really brutal comments about Yarlagadda (they seem suspect, but there are so many of them, it's hard to tell). If you continue through the pages, though, you can watch as the thread becomes an outlet for Skype employees angry about the decision and discussing what happened culturally at Skype after the guy was hired. Skype employee responses: http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/06/skype-recruits-yahoo-engineering-exec-for-key-technology-role/comment-page-2/#comments http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/06/skype-recruits-yahoo-engine... Here's a post from "Anonymous Designer" that is telling: "Two engineers gave notice today and another one quit earlier in the week. I am sad because it looks like Madhu is quick to have a negative impact on our company. The engineers here are not happy with this recent hire and have been very vocal. HR is talking to each and every engineer 1:1 so that they don't loose anymore over this. While I am in design and less impacted the environment is very tense. Makes me question whether it makes sense to stay working at Skype. I haven't talked with Madhu but he is definitely rubbing a lot of people I respect the wrong way and quite obviously doesn't understand our culture. Hope there is a resolution soon so I can focus on pixels and not whether I am wasting my time." And another from "Skype Developer": "Madhu presented yesterday for an hour and didn't say anything. Didn't really address comments here and didn't show any technical depth. Josh what have you done? Are we really follow this guy? May be Dan was right to leave. Look out for good Skype engineers on the market. The only exec I saw at Skype that admitted a mistake was Dan. And he did it in front of his whole org. Josh it is your turn. Convince Dan to stay. Fix this. Is the board listening?" ---- The later responses -- which were posted several days later -- discussing internal Skype politics lead me to believe the brutal comments are at least partially genuine.

flatulent1 16y ago
Back in 2009 he wrote Steps to Success see his blog: http://madhuyarlagadda.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=2 http://madhuyarlagadda.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-...

nl 16y ago

The TechCrunch article and comments are over a month old now. Given that, I don't think he lost his job just because of the comments. Perhaps there is a slight confusion of cause & effect here.

bbatsell 16y ago
Of course not. If a company's execs fired someone based on anonymous comments that could easily have all been made by a single person with a vendetta, it would be one of the most ludicrous things I've ever heard. What is far more likely to have happened is that they were blindsided by the backlash and it made them scrutinize him & his actions much more than they normally would to see if the comments were legitimate or not. Apparently it was decided that they were.