Leaving a Great Company
Things to keep in mind when leaving a great company:
- Determine your message. What is it that you want to convey when you exit? It’ll say a lot about who you are, and it’ll set the basis for your next steps. The adage of burning bridges is true. It might feel good to tell how you really feel at the moment, but it will have an impact in your future.
- Your friends still work at the company. You want them to succeed, right? If you are lucky enough to work with great people the entire company is your friend. The hardest thing for a company to get right is to acquire great talent. If you leave and start a talent bleed, it does no good to you (especially if you have equity) or your friends who are trying to succeed.
- It’s never really goodbye. This especially holds true in Silicon Valley. Sooner or later, you’ll be working with or talking to the people you used to share late night crunches with. It may even be indirect. People will ask personal opinions of you and you don’t want to be labelled as an antagonist, do you?
The nitty (crafting a farewell):
You’re going to send out an email.
- Consider sending it to ALL. There will be more than company employees on the alias list.
- Interject nostalgia. It’ll remind people why you joined the company and what you did. Keep in mind some people might be new to the company, and they’ll be asking “who the fuck is this??” “Oh he’s the dude who keeps losing his fighting sticks at work.”
- Tell people where you are going. They’ll wonder and ask themselves, “Where is he going that is better than here?” It’s best to shut that right down. You don’t have to explain why. You don’t have to say a better opportunity (it’s implicit), and you don’t want to say to a competitor (it says that the company is not good enough). “Taking some time off” or “changing directions” are examples of good form. It is certainly acceptable to say “I’m starting my own company” because it’s seen as the pinnacle next step. People in great companies will want you to succeed.
- Talk about the company. Your message should be bullish about the future of the company. You want the company and your friends to succeed.
- Be Cool. Drop some pop culture references. Be self-deprecating, sarcastic, and remind people why you’re awesome (you must be right?). It’ll help with future relationships.
The grit (my farewell):
When I joined Slide it was on a whim. There was an understanding that
if I was cool enough, and they were cool enough, I’d get to stick
around. That was 4.17 years ago. In that time, I’ve learned a lot,
pushed a lot of lines, and built a lot of friendships. They were
definitely cool enough (you know who you are).
Startups always have churn, and it is exceedingly rare for a startup
to have a number of people past 3 years. If you look around, the DNA
of the company is such that you see a lot of people past 3 and verging
on 4 years. Slide is a great company made of great people, and you’d
be hard-pressed to find a better one to grow with than this one. This
is why it’s hard to leave.
Where are you going?
Taking a bit a time for myself, then I’m joining the ranks of the Slide Alumni and starting something up.
Are you crazy?
Yes, and it’s a calculated insanity.
What do you think of the current direction of the company?
It’s focused, ambitious, and correct. [Secret Stuff Here].
Are we cool?
It’s cool, Honey Bunny, we’re still cool.
Last day?
My last day is July 7th. After that you can find me here:
email: [ removed to protect the innocent ]
twitter: http://twitter.com/wonderfulkill
fb: http://www.facebook.com/bobbykjoe [ some tween took my name ]
linked in: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyjoe [ but he didn’t get this one ]
———————————————————————————————-
My name is Bobby Joe. I left Slide 24 hours ago. I build web applications like FunPix, SkinFlix, and FunWall on Facebook.
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