> In hindsight I am very aware that this was a lousy situation to have put myself in, but here we are anyway. Put it this way, even if you were a founder, you'

> In hindsight I am very aware that this was a lousy situation to have put myself in, but here we are anyway. Put it this way, even if you were a founder, you'd still be unlikely to raise an A round, and still be in this same situation. At the very least, hopefully you were collecting salary. > So I know I need to get out in front of my management team before they make a deal I'll walk away from, but this is new territory for me and I have no idea what would be reasonable to ask for and what would get me laughed out of the room. Meet with the founders, and state what you want. Even if it gets you laughed out of the room, it's what you want. If they're stand up people, they will have earned your trust through this process, given that you're the lead engineer on the companies product. The reasonable expectation to set is that the board of the other company will have to approve acquisitions, and those that are non-standard, such as equity grants that have accelerated vesting options are harder to get through. With that in mind, you have to weigh your own leverage. It's hard to believe that in this hiring climate that the acquirers are not interested in retaining engineering talent. > How do I best stand up for my own interests here, without being the asshole that ruins the deal for everyone? Ask for what you want. And if you don't get it, decide what you're willing to live with. If it's zero-sum, you can walk away and look for new opportunities. No one will fault you.