The author mentions the stock options, which create incentive for success, but points out that the problem is no downside risk. Golden parachutes are counter to those incentives.
> Yes, the Board can arrange it so they make a lot of money if the company does well, but if it tanks, they’ll still be OK. Here are some examples[...]
Depends on the founder's situation, whether they're independently wealthy and whether their investors (if any) have taken on some of the risk. But for some bootstrappers, they get next to no salary and if their company fails, they might lose their house and be unable to feed their family. They're truly all-in.
That's not going to happen with the first example from the article:
> Fiorina received a larger signing offer than any of her predecessors, including: US$65 million in restricted stock to compensate her for the Lucent stock and options she left behind, a US$3 million signing bonus, a US$1 million annual salary (plus a US$1.25–US$3.75 million annual bonus), US$36,000 in mortgage assistance, a relocation allowance, and permission (and encouragement) to use company planes for personal affairs.
To clarify that flippant reply: I have four examples of skin in the game, at the end of the article. Putting "losing your comp" in that category is trivializing. Risk is something serious and irreparable.
