Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Michael D. Thomas" <mdthomas AT mindspring.com>]

<<<same message better formatting...>>>

To examine the stock options quote in context:

<SNIP>
 Two years ago, engineers coming to headhunter Hall Kinion wanted a position 
at one of the
several Fortune 500 companies that employ thousands in Research Triangle 
Park, explains
J.P. Lexa, a manager with Hall Kinion's Raleigh office. Now they want help 
getting out and
into startups. "It used to be if someone left IBM (IBM) people would wonder, 
'What did you
do wrong'," says Jones, who believes the area's techies are still a little 
slow to grasp
the potential value of stock options.
</SNIP>

Having left IBM over a year ago, I can see the point. As a former Software 
Engineer at one
of the area's monolithic development shops (30 developers, 40 test and 
support staff), I
can attest to the difficulty of grasping the potential value... of anything 
else. Of
anything in the "outside world."

(Part of my motivation in helping to form Internetworkers was an interest in 
seeing what
was happening beyond the gated drives of IBM.)

At IBM, stock options are status. Outside of an already-public company, 
options valuations
aren't rooted in an established liquid market, and are, to-say-the-least, 
hard to value...
but in terms of making a decision to switch jobs, it's yet another unknown in 
a sea of
unknowns that swirl and surround the big labs of RTP. The labs are safe... 
and part of
the safety -- beyond immense finances -- is the culture that awards status. 
(I got a
plaque-on-the-wall while I was at IBM and I still have it hanging in my 
house... and I'm
looking forward to my chance to wear the tie-clip IBM gave me, if I ever find 
an occassion
to wear a tie:-)

But the IBM culture is constraining, of course. There's a reason why IBM 
managment and
methods are cited so often in Organizational Psychology texts. In my opinon, 
what the
"area's techies don't understand" is the "potential value" of the freedom 
that exists
beyond the FHCL (Fucking Huge Corporate Lab)... and the possibility that
the press release concerning your project is released the day the stock goes 
up 30%.... and

maybe your efforts had something to do with that.

Steven Champeon wrote:

> on Tue, Jul 11, 2000 at 03:12:26PM -0400, Paul Jones wrote:
> > Don't all jump at once but RDU gets reviewed in Upside, but do they
know
> > what they're talking about?
>
> More or less, I'd say. The thing about "local techies" not
understanding
> the potential value of stock options is funny, though. I'd say many of
us
> (e.g., refugees/former employees of Imonics, SEER, et al.) know all
too
> well the difference betwixt "potential" value of stock options and
their
> "actual" value. Call me cynical.
>
> > What are the benefits and detriments of being here?
>
> I've been to SF/SV, Austin, Chicago, NYC, DC, Boston, Atlanta, etc.
and
> I like RDU the best. It hasn't outgrown its charm, even if you count
Cary,
> and it is still growing -- unlike Austin or Mt. View, there's no
feeling
> that the boom is over, left in the form of concrete embankments or
brand
> new traffic lights.
>
> > Does the novice's guide make sense to you?
>
> Heh. Well, except for the reference to Cary's "slow growth" mayor,
yeah.
>
> > And why did they pick the wrong Paul Jones? (they picked the one
> > with $$$ instead of the one with a pure heart).
>
> Heh. Come on, it's *upside*, for heaven's sake. :)
>
> --
> http://a.jaundicedeye.com/weblog/
> because it just annoys people when I talk to myself...
>
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