re: poison pill
David can answer, (I hope he does - I find his posts, while sometimes a bit bent towards sarcastic, interesting and useful :), but to save cycles on the thread, let me tell you the real logic behind it. It's actually quite simple.
There are two indisputable facts about life in high tech, and in particular Silicon Valley, these days. First, a company must realize that one of the, if not the, most valuable asset you can have is your employees. With so many technologies coming on line so quickly, and with so many competitive opportunities available for the people who make them happen, it is imperative that a company do everything possible to retain the 'best and brightest'. Second, we are going through a period of incredible mergers and acquisitions, (oh, to be an M&A specialist at an investment banker ..). In the face of those two facts, it became apparent to management at NCD that our existing option plan was not adequate to provide proper protection for the employees nor was it adequate to provide proper control to NCD in case of any potential M or A. I will spare you any details beyond that, but the net-net is that it was that simple. Nothing more, nothing less. No devious plans, no shocking news right around the corner. Merely good business practice. |
