

Ask HN:  Contemplating Working for a Competitor - cuca_de_ouro

(This is not from my regular account.)<p>Here's where I am:<p>&#62; Have worked in enterprise software for past 15 years<p>&#62; Part of a still-startup semi-successful company for &#62; 5 years now, increasing management responsibilities during that time, have written key parts of complex product's back-end<p>&#62; Current company has several hundred customers, many well-known corporate names<p>&#62; Company well-established in its area, is expanding into another area<p>&#62; A viable new competitor in the other area is gaining some traction, might start addressing current company's expertise soon ...<p>&#62; Current company will need to expand code base and dev team to address new area and new competitor, but:  dev team has ossified and developed some bad habits (encouraged by former dev head), dev organization won't scale without hard-to-effect changes<p>&#62; Current company is being granted patents for current tech but for an over-engineered solution -- patents probably circumventable and I'm sure prior art exists<p>&#62; Mid-40's, been dealing with same tech for a while, but still nimble and read up on latest developments, don't have too much trouble venturing into new areas<p>&#62; Increased family responsibilities of late<p>&#62; In California (might apply for legal questions)<p>... and so:<p>&#62; I believe I have expertise and management skills the new competitor would need to quickly develop a competing version of current company's product (you might ask "why don't you take that expertise and apply it to current company's culture?")<p>&#62; I'm less and less enchanted with current company, I worry for their future<p>&#62; I'd like to rebuild this product concept again the right way ... there's too much cruft<p>&#62; My personal outcome might be much better, if not monetarily, at least from a personal satisfaction viewpoint (other than being marked a traitor that is)<p>&#62; I'm sure the new venture would be demanding ... in my current position I can deal with family matters and explore new tech<p>&#62; <i></i>* in any case, I WANT TO TALK TO COMPETING COMPANY ABOUT A POSSIBLE ARRANGEMENT <i></i>*<p>Not being given to underhanded tactics in the past, contemplating this step is new and somehow satisfying and freeing.  How will a competitor feel about discussing the possibility of an arrangement?  Should I feel dirty?  What should I ask for in return?
======
alain94040
Go for it. Just keep it very clean: absolutely no joke about "I could get you
the specs of the next product."

Be ready for the word to get out and for your current employer to eventually
find out that you talked.

