If the Shoe Fits: Cheap Talk
by Miki SaxonA Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read all If the Shoe Fits posts here
I seem to write too many stories about bosses who don’t walk their talk, which, I realize, is an overused, hackneyed expression.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not an accurate one.
Here’s the background and I have to admit it really floored me.
“Mark” is a thirty-something engineer and was the third person to join 23 year old “Jim’s” startup early in 2011.
Out of several offers he chose Jim’s. He’d read and heard a lot about the values that Millennials demanded and Jim’s description of his values and the culture he was building based on them closely matched Marks own.
Things were going well and they had grown to 6 people when they landed on the radar of a major corporation.
Near the end of the year Mark heard a rumor that the company was being acquired.
When he asked Jim if it was true he said it was and that they hoped to keep the staff.
Mark was flabbergasted; not because Jim was selling, but because the acquiring company’s culture was known to be diametrically opposed to almost all of Mark’s stated values.
When Mark said as much Jim said that it was an amazing offer and that he would be a fool to turn it down. Although they could easily raise an investment round, his holdings were far more valuable with the acquisition than if they were diluted by new investors.
Mark asked Jim if he had meant anything he said during the interview or if it was all just BS.
Jim’s response really blew me away.
Mark said he shrugged and said “that was then and this is now.”
What do you think? Was Jim justified? What would you do?
Your comments-priceless
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