What it feels like to merge with Microsoft

The last time I quit my company to look for a job, I joined a small start-up company in Silicon Valley. It had fewer than 100 employees and everyone was extremely smart, hard-working, and in love with our technology. Many of us had specifically chosen to work for a startup because it was a start-up: zero bureaucracy, common mission, small org where everyone knows everyone.

When a big "change in financial structure" happens, only a few key people are involved in the discussions (for obvious reasons). But I worked in the business development group at the time, so we kindda knew that something was up long before any official announcements. The company CEO was doing secret Sunday afternoon meetings (with Bill Gates, it turns out), mysterious guests would arrive from out of town and stay holed up all day in a conference room, and my VP boss was always flying back and forth from Seattle.

Once the deal was signed, a few of us were told the details so we could contact our customers and partners to give them a secret heads-up. Then the marketing, PR, HR, and others teams all went into overdrive to prepare for the public announcement. Of course the news was leaking quickly the whole time, so we all had to pretend nothing was up when the press called, while at the same time being sure not to say anything that was a complete lie.

Then one day the CEO called everyone into a mandatory company-wide meeting at a nearby hotel ballroom (our offices didn't have any conference rooms big enough) and he broke the big news. Then he had to leave early to join with various big shots at Microsoft to do a press conference.

The next few days and months were extremely fun. We were the center of attention in all the press, customers and partners -- who previously thought of themselves as the Big Guys and us as the Little Guys -- suddenly switched roles and were eager, almost desperate, to expand their relationships with us. But the best part was suddenly having access to all the wonderful resources of Microsoft, while still having that start-up soul.

That's why I still don't use the word "acquisition". A good relationship is more like a merger: they get something and we get something. And for me, at least, it's worked out pretty well -- I'm still here, ten years later.