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To answer both of your questions: I'm not asking companies to "outbid" me for people's work and I'm not demanding a ceiling for their compensation. Rather, I'm
by rglover 14y ago
To answer both of your questions: I'm not asking companies to "outbid" me for people's work and I'm not demanding a ceiling for their compensation.
Rather, I'm asking the developer's why drop their work on the application entirely? Why not continue the development at Google a la Instagram?
Moreover, the real discontent is more so with seeing a talented group being bought out and not encouraged to grow on their own. I've found that some of the most unique and useful work has come out of small dev shops. I'd rather see the company continue and see where they would have taken sparrow or any other ideas they might have.
I'm extremely happy for and congratulatory to the Sparrow team. Their work is most definitely worth any offer they've been given.
- tptacek 14y agoGoogle bought them for whatever reason Google bought them. When Google ponied up for them, you lost your say in what Sparrow's developers spend their time on.
- shinratdr 14y agoWho is arguing otherwise? We're not allowed to gripe without implying it was unfair? I think it sucks, and as a user that bought the app strictly to support future progress I feel abandoned. I don't really give a shit if I have a "say" or not in their decisions. I don't like how it went down. Assuming they leave Google and launch another startup (which we all know they will) I certainly won't be supporting them in the future. Just as I have no say in their progress, they have no say on how I choose to characterize their departure. I say, they took the money and ran. I prefer devs I can trust to stick around.
- dionidium 14y agoYou think that another person should turn down (what was likely) enough money to support their families for the rest of their lives because you invested $10 in their email application? This is what you believe?
- encoderer 14y agoSparrow isn't Instagram. Most acqui-hires lately have been, essentially, large signing bonuses. Six figures per founder. Not "FU" money.
- tptacek 14y agoWell it's good that these developers have you to plan their financial futures. It'd be a shame if nobody was looking out for their interests.
- koide 14y agoAny high six figures (say, over .5 million) figure is actually FU money, as long as you can invest reasonably safely and well and have modest living standards. I'm amazed at how often I read here that even a million is pocket change that changes nothing on the receivers life.
- encoderer 14y agoAre you familiar with how expensive it is to live here? You cannot buy a decent house in a fair school district for less than $500k. Probably more like $750k. For two bedrooms.
- koide 14y agoI live where a house with two bedrooms costs more than a million. I'm certain half a million would significantly change my life. I just don't need such a house.
- dionidium 14y agoThen move. Living somewhere that costs that much is a luxury good.
- encoderer 14y agoThe Bay Area is the center of the universe of software development. Not that you can't work as a software engineer elsewhere (I have) but you have a limitless amount of interesting work here. And while costs are higher, salaries are much higher as well. It's absurd to act like a $500k payout puts you on easy street.