undefined | Better HN

0 pointsNate75Sanders15y ago0 comments

Simply profiting does not mean that you're playing the game optimally.

While small organizations can't afford a research division, Oracle certainly can. You'd think a company in the business of storing data might want to keep the guy who created ZFS, especially given how lively the database world is right now with NoSQL implementations, etc.

0 comments

hga15y ago

Based on what James Gosling has said, perhaps Oracle's general HR policies just aren't compatible with retaining people at Jeff Bonwick's level.

There could also be bureaucratic turf wars going on, i.e. the total loss of autonomy/decision making power that Gosling reported suggests that those already in Oracle are happy with how they run things and have no intention of sharing those responsibilities. One can also imagine Oracle having a culture where those acquired from a money losing company don't get much respect for that alone.

iuyfgtrghjk15y ago

This happens everytime a company is taken over by a larger one. Except for a few VPs who are part of the M&A team - everyone at the smaller company always ends up beneath the same person at the larger one.

Everyone in tech knows this - which is why everyone who can leaves before a 'merger'. And why you never hear of the innovative smaller company's work 6months after the takeover.

hga15y ago

I'm not sure that's entirely true (well, except for the reporting thing). Some companies have a reputation for acquiring smaller companies with the express purpose of keeping their staff, e.g. Cisco (at least in times past) and Google.

But, yes, most of the time this is an important part of what makes the vast majority of high tech acquisitions fail miserably.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsNate75Sanders15y ago0 comments

Simply profiting does not mean that you're playing the game optimally.

0 comments

hga15y ago

Based on what James Gosling has said, perhaps Oracle's general HR policies just aren't compatible with retaining people at Jeff Bonwick's level.

iuyfgtrghjk15y ago

Everyone in tech knows this - which is why everyone who can leaves before a 'merger'. And why you never hear of the innovative smaller company's work 6months after the takeover.

hga15y ago

But, yes, most of the time this is an important part of what makes the vast majority of high tech acquisitions fail miserably.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse