from Gergely Orosz | by Gergely Orosz

How to mess up an acquisition: do what Intuit is doing with Mailchimp and their longtime employees. t.co/5CA0NS5RuU

Given how it’s M&A 101 that you *do not* cut anyone’s pay if you want to retain them, and given that Intuit has competent people, this points to this: Intuit never wanted to keep many of Mailchimp’s employees. They wanted the customers and the cashflow Mailchimp brings.

Many chose Mailchimp and accepted zero equity as the founders said they’ll never sell. $12B was too high to resist (understandably), and once they sold, its every employee for themselves. Employees got no cut of the sale. Look out for yourself: don’t expect others to do so.