Page 18 of Skins Game

“But it’s not fresh air because you’re standing around with a bunch of smokers, right?”

“I’m upwind. And like I said, it’s windy. And you can probably hear the planes taking off out on the runway. That’s why it’s so noisy. Wind. And airplanes. In Chicago.”

“Okay, it’s your health, I guess. Anyway, we were just talking about the email that Last Chance sent this morning. What a bunch of bull hockey.”

Airplane-engine roar filled his long pause. “Tell me why you view it like that.”

Nicole sure as heck told him, and she added in the comments that her techs yelled out while she was talking.

Last Chance obviously had no idea what it’s like to be a working person in today’s marketplace in California, where there were way more high-tech job openings than qualified people.

Companies were expanding and needed experienced admins, HR, accounting, etc., too. Anybody at Sidewinder Golf who wanted another job could network, go through the HR process, and start their new job by Monday, probably with a signing bonus.

Those Last Chance venture capitalists must’ve thought they were being cute by trying to reassure Sidewinder’s employees that there would be no layoffs “this month,” but again, people have car payments and mortgages. People aren’t going to stick around for “maybe layoffs next month.”

Being coy about people’s jobs and livelihoods wasnotreassuring.

“I didn’t think it sounded coy,” Kingston said on the speaker. “To me, it sounded like Last Chance was trying to be genuine and honest. Transparent, even. But also not promising something they couldn’t deliver.”

“They’re venture capitalists,” Nicole told him. “They’re never honest or genuine aboutanything.”

“Do you think it’s fair to pre-judge people like that?”

“Venture capitalists never have the company’s best interests at the top of their agenda. Their whole agenda is to make moneyand nothing but make money. For everyone else involved, a venture capitalist buying your company is a tragedy.”

Kingston didn’t speak for a few beats after that, and then he asked, “Are you going to tell our people that they should quit and go to other companies?”

“As a high-level manager, it’s my duty to tell people the truth. If somebody has an opportunity with a different company that isn’t owned by a venture capital firm, I would tell them to seriously consider the offer.”

“That’s—very honest of you.”

“What else could I say? These are my friends.” She gestured to the eight people sitting around the break room table, even though Kingston couldn’t see her. “This new venture capital company hasn’t done anything to earn my loyalty, and Joe Flanagan lost our loyalty to him because he sold the firm without even notifying us until after the deal was done. This is soshady.”

“You’re right,” Kingston’s voice said. “That’s an interesting way of looking at it, and it’s valid.”

Heck yeah, it wasvalid.“I’m glad you think so.” She tried to keep the snark out of her voice but probably failed miserably. “I just wish there was some way that we could tell the guys at Last Chance, the evil venture capital firm, how we’re feeling.”

“You should write an email,” Kingston said. “You should say all this to them so they can rectify the situation or address people’s concerns.”

She rolled her eyes, and the other people around the table laughed out loud. “Jeez Louise, Kingston. Are you trying to get me fired?”

“Not at all,” but he chuckled. “However, it sounds like these guys might be a little clueless, and maybe if they had this feedback, their emails could consider Sidewinder’s company environment when they craft emails or policy.”