How to Survive an Acquisition • Hacker News Board

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#21

Post by ultratoast » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:29 PM UTC

>In retrospect, I realize that a lot of tiny acquired startups don’t know what the fuck they’re doing and so the behemoth just gets used to assuming that everyone is like that. Just grit your teeth and take it.

This, I'm not sure if this should even be considered a negative. Too often start-ups and smaller tech companies try to reinvent the wheel and call themselves 'agile' or whatever. As a contractor I'd almost always rather deal with a large company - if for nothing other than a dedicated payroll dept.

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#22

Post by realkitkat » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:30 PM UTC

ldehaan wrote: post #10

Founder is so far from employee it's ridiculous you even comment. It's sad that most founders don't care or don't understand that sometimes they managed to hire people that actually care about the business, and could have helped make it better. When I see a founder sell his business, all I ever think is (as I'm sure most do), what a selfish asshole.

This. But then again, when you join a VC funded start-up, end game should be pretty obvious.

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#23

Post by ascagnel_ » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:32 PM UTC

cm2012 wrote: post #16

mathgeek wrote: post #11

> 3-4 hour daily commute It saddens me that anyone thinks this is acceptable. I know some people don't mind it, but what a waste of your life to do this for any extended period of time.

I have a 3 hour commute (by express bus with comfy seats, etc.). Honestly, I just use the commute time as "me time", not too different from hanging out at home. The long commute lets me be close to my parents, in a neighborhood my wife likes, $1100 rent for a 2 bedroom in NYC, etc.

Where the heck do you live that you can get a 2BR in the NY metro area for $1100? Even the scuzziest areas start at $800-900 for a 1BR.

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#24

Post by spimmy » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:36 PM UTC

Drdrdrq wrote: post #5

dquail wrote: post #2

"Surviving," "Trauma," "Shock","Dismay" ? I've founded a company through an acquisition and led mobile for another. Life was definitely much much better before the acquisitions. But the perception that it's anything but a first world first world problem ... is a bit misleading and entitled.

I guess as a founder you were rewarded when it came to being acquired. I am not sure what position OP had but I think it accurately conveys feelings of any ordinary (but loyal) employee.

OP here. Engineer/tech lead.

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#25

Post by dquail » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:39 PM UTC

ldehaan wrote: post #10

Founder is so far from employee it's ridiculous you even comment. It's sad that most founders don't care or don't understand that sometimes they managed to hire people that actually care about the business, and could have helped make it better. When I see a founder sell his business, all I ever think is (as I'm sure most do), what a selfish asshole.

Fair enough. I missed the part where this is an employees perspective. WRT being selfish. It's often the last thing a founder wants. Boards, family members, and even sometimes employees - often pressure a founder into an acquisition the founder themselves isn't as keen on.

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#26

Post by ryandrake » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:39 PM UTC

mathgeek wrote: post #11

> 3-4 hour daily commute It saddens me that anyone thinks this is acceptable. I know some people don't mind it, but what a waste of your life to do this for any extended period of time.

I commute 2 hours each way per day and you get used to it. It sucks but so do home prices in South Bay.

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#27

Post by dyeje » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:41 PM UTC

ascagnel_ wrote: post #23

cm2012 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a 3 hour commute (by express bus with comfy seats, etc.). Honestly, I just use the commute time as "me time", not too different from hanging out at home. The long commute lets me be close to my parents, in a neighborhood my wife likes, $1100 rent for a 2 bedroom in NYC, etc.

Where the heck do you live that you can get a 2BR in the NY metro area for $1100? Even the scuzziest areas start at $800-900 for a 1BR.

Well, he is 3 hours out. There are alot of cheaper areas in that big of a radius.

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#28

Post by logfromblammo » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:45 PM UTC

VeilEm wrote: post #4

> One of Facebook’s internal slogans is something like “always do what’s best for Facebook”. Is that real? Like they really have this slogan that like comes straight out of a modern interpretation of Marx's theory of alienation shoved right into their employees faces? http://i.imgur.com/oVb4J0b.png

That is also, if I recall correctly, remarkably similar to an internal slogan printed on a banner at Innitech, in Office Space.

I'm not certain that I would be able to suppress a fit of the giggles any time I saw it in an actual, real-life office.

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#29

Post by dquail » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:45 PM UTC

depoll wrote: post #3

dquail wrote: post #2

"Surviving," "Trauma," "Shock","Dismay" ? I've founded a company through an acquisition and led mobile for another. Life was definitely much much better before the acquisitions. But the perception that it's anything but a first world first world problem ... is a bit misleading and entitled.

That's a very dismissive attitude toward real emotional attachments. The loss of something you've poured your life into can genuinely be traumatic, shocking, and dismaying. I don't like the notion of applying the "first-world problem" dismissal to things that aren't trivialities. It's one thing to laugh about how you have to get up from the couch to get a remote. It's another thing entirely to talk about major change…

Fair enough. There are real and powerful emotions at play.

But it's a bit of a stretch to suggest an employee at a company founded 5 years ago has "poured their life into."

Personally, I'll reserve evocative language of loss for things beyond a strategic shift at the office - but I shouldn't judge others who view things differently.

Re: How to Survive an Acquisition

#30

Post by krisdol » Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 9:46 PM UTC

ryandrake wrote: post #26

mathgeek wrote: post #11

> 3-4 hour daily commute It saddens me that anyone thinks this is acceptable. I know some people don't mind it, but what a waste of your life to do this for any extended period of time.

I commute 2 hours each way per day and you get used to it. It sucks but so do home prices in South Bay.

Do you subtract those hours from how much time you'd be in the office or do you spend 12 hours a day away from home every day?

I do about 2 hours a day when I'm not biking, but because we have a strong remote-work culture, I find myself working from home more and more, and expect to be fully remote pretty soon.