The author ignores an important part of the negotiation equation - are you being adequately compensated for the imposed limitations? For example a one year non

The author ignores an important part of the negotiation equation - are you being adequately compensated for the imposed limitations? For example a one year non-compete after separation might be unreasonable by itself, but coupled with one year of full severance pay is a different story, although there is still the "what am I supposed to do with my time?" issue. If you are a founder/early employee with significant equity then a non-compete clause when being acquired will likely be acceptable to you.