“About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today” • Hacker News Board

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#121

Post by gregsadetsky » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:22 PM UTC

grumblestumble wrote: post #89

A lot of the conversation from the "no politics at work" crowd here is centered around "these folks were wasting company time and losing productivity protesting this". That entirely misses the point. The loss of productivity around this issue is entirely on the leadership team. They let this fester - they were complicit in allowing this dumb-ass list to be circulated around the company for years, and when it became a…

DHH's blog post: https://world.hey.com/dhh/let-it-all-out-78485e8e

See paragraphs below "So I replied:" ...

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#122

Post by nprz » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:23 PM UTC

JauntTrooper wrote: post #28

They offered a severance of 6 months salary if you've worked there for 3+ years... I would be tempted by that offer regardless of any other circumstances, especially in today's competitive jobs market.

Is it a competitive job market? I've been interviewing SWE candidates at my current workplace for some time and it feels like the org is competing for developers more than developers are competing for jobs.

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#123

Post by Trasmatta » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:23 PM UTC

baron816 wrote: post #90

The proposed changes are wholly reasonable, and definitely not that different from 99% of the companies out there. The real problem is that they’ve spent years hiring for a type of person where this sort of thing is anathema.

Yeah, DHH is very outspoken politically, and fairly progressive. Of course there was going to be a selection bias where they hired similar people. This shouldn't have come as a surprise to them, and they should have realized the backlash. Shockingly bad foresight.

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#124

Post by rchaud » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:23 PM UTC

4ndrewl wrote: post #73

I guess it's important to note the scale here. About a third of Basecamp employees is ~15-20 people?

Sure, but they have outsize influence in US tech circles because of the CEO's books about org management. The company also has a philosophical opposition to venture capital and the incentives it creates. Such as the common focus on DAUs, MAUs and IPOs instead of sustainable profitablility.

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#125

Post by klelatti » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:23 PM UTC

grumblestumble wrote: post #89

A lot of the conversation from the "no politics at work" crowd here is centered around "these folks were wasting company time and losing productivity protesting this". That entirely misses the point. The loss of productivity around this issue is entirely on the leadership team. They let this fester - they were complicit in allowing this dumb-ass list to be circulated around the company for years, and when it became a…

It really sounds like JF / DHH really didn't want to have to deal with the issue - minimal disciplinary action and then push all discussion away from official channels.

But I guess that it reveals what probably should have been clear about Basecamp - it's a vehicle for the expression / gratification of the founders - financially, emotionally and intellectually.

And the loss of staff / possible impact on the company (and customers) was a price they were prepared to pay.

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#126

Post by confidantlake » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:23 PM UTC

brrrrrm wrote: post #3

Isn’t that only 20 people? Edit: as in, this is misleadingly phrased as if it’s a large collective action

20 people leave Microsoft, sure not a big deal. 20 people leave a company with 60 people? That is huge.

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#127

Post by predaking » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:24 PM UTC

notadoc wrote: post #78

Guessing nearly 1/3 of employees at many companies would leave immediately if offered 6 months salary. Or maybe it's because those people were upset that discussing politics was not part of their job description?

I'm guessing it might be that 1/3 of those employees were upset that they found out about the initial policy change via a public facing blog post, possibly felt that the behavior of one of their main leaders was increasingly toxic and poisonous, didn't want to be associated with him and got a buyout. I mean, if I was working for a raging asshole who suddenly said "if you don't like me, here's 6 months salary" you bet your butt I'd take that. =)

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#128

Post by francisofascii » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:24 PM UTC

baron816 wrote: post #66

fighterpilot wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if I liked the job I would take it. Six months paid holiday would be too good to pass up.

Yeah, let’s say your salary was $200k. They give you $100k immediately, you turn around and find another job after a month off at $190k—that means you’re making about $273k this year.

It depends on the terms, is it a lump sum? Or would the paychecks end when you get the new job?

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#129

Post by cblconfederate » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:24 PM UTC

_jal wrote: post #84

TigeriusKirk wrote: post #10

If a third of the people were willing to leave the company over a decision, it sounds like there was a real, meaningful mismatch in priorities. Which is fine, but it's for the best for everyone to end that mismatch.

Any employer that abruptly told me I needed to watch what I said at work would lose me, too. I'm not saying I demand the ability to be rude and awful, or go on political tirades, or anything even vaguely like that. But I spend more time talking to people I work with than any other set of people. Telling me I have to avoid entire categories of normal conversation is itself authoritarian politicization of the workplace…

> I spend more time talking to people I work with than any other set of people.

Aren't they a remote company?

Re: “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”

#130

Post by deanCommie » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 9:24 PM UTC

whynea wrote: post #115

Sounds good for Basecamp's remaining employees, they can seek out new colleagues who don't throw a tantrum when being politely asked not to bring their politics to work. I mean, look at the state of this whiner: https://twitter.com/dankim/status/1387378826364260354 "In my entire professional career of 20+ years, I have never once cried at work until today." An absolutely pathetic child of a man. Asked not to rile col…

" Asked not to rile colleagues up with divisive political discussions," is not an accurate representation of the stated policy that was introduced.

Divisive was not a factor.