3 ms·

In theory, nothing is stopping a lead developer from opening up their own shop. In practice, unless you are comically shafting them or making it readily appare

In theory, nothing is stopping a lead developer from opening up their own shop. In practice, unless you are comically shafting them or making it readily apparent you aren't going to help them achieve whatever exit they're looking for, the additional effort required to strike out by themselves is easily outweighed by the benefits of staying put. Also, if your business is more at risk from employees than competitors, I think you need to seriously reconsider either your treatment of your employees, your business model, or your market analysis.

bsder 12y ago
> Also, if your business is more at risk from employees than competitors, I think you need to seriously reconsider either your treatment of your employees, your business model, or your market analysis. You are always at more risk from employees because they have multiple ways to hose you. Labor disputes, billing issues, intellectual property ownership agreements, etc. This is why we have things like NDAs, Confidentiality Agreements, Patent Assignments, Stock Agreements, etc. You don't have to be treating your employees badly for one to cause you issues. Even a disagreement about how much to sell the company for can cause problems, and that's not even a malicious reason to disagree.
- angersock 12y ago
  What business do you run? I'd like to avoid ending up there by accident, because it sounds like a place unfriendly to Labor.
- CodeMage 12y ago
  > You are always at more risk from employees because they have multiple ways to hose you. Labor disputes, billing issues, intellectual property ownership agreements, etc. That reasoning smells fallacious to me. Just because there are more kinds of risks, doesn't necessarily mean you're at more risk.
  - ForHackernews 12y ago
    This is why I'm more afraid of poisonous animals than car accidents. There are many kinds of poisonous animals!
- gohrt 12y ago
  Those sound like ways to hose your employees and make them dependent on you.

bsder 12y ago

> Also, if your business is more at risk from employees than competitors, I think you need to seriously reconsider either your treatment of your employees, your business model, or your market analysis. You are always at more risk from employees because they have multiple ways to hose you. Labor disputes, billing issues, intellectual property ownership agreements, etc. This is why we have things like NDAs, Confidentiality Agreements, Patent Assignments, Stock Agreements, etc. You don't have to be treating your employees badly for one to cause you issues. Even a disagreement about how much to sell the company for can cause problems, and that's not even a malicious reason to disagree.

angersock 12y ago
What business do you run? I'd like to avoid ending up there by accident, because it sounds like a place unfriendly to Labor.
CodeMage 12y ago
> You are always at more risk from employees because they have multiple ways to hose you. Labor disputes, billing issues, intellectual property ownership agreements, etc. That reasoning smells fallacious to me. Just because there are more kinds of risks, doesn't necessarily mean you're at more risk.
- ForHackernews 12y ago
  This is why I'm more afraid of poisonous animals than car accidents. There are many kinds of poisonous animals!
gohrt 12y ago
Those sound like ways to hose your employees and make them dependent on you.