[hn_neverguess]

> I also don't think accepting an offer and later declining because you found higher comp elsewhere is dishonest.

It truly is for one very simple reason - you accept and the hiring manager tells all other candidates that the company is going with someone else. If the person then flakes out, the company is in a difficult spot because the best candidates have several offers and as soon as you're out, they confirm with their next best option.

> I've never promised or been asked to even give my word to stick around for a set period of time.

There are reputable and less reputable companies. What Coinbase is doing is clearly shitty, but at least they are going to offer a 4 month severance just if they agreed to hire you and then rescinded the offer. Again, a shitty thing to do, but even so, you'll notice that they were not contractually required to pay anyone anything for rescinding the offer, and yet they are going to do that. Why? Because reputation matters.

[tuckerman]

Assuming that you are okay with someone moving on to a new opportunity eventually, how long do expect them to stay before you wouldn't consider them leaving to be damaging to their reputation?

I still think you aren't fully taking into consideration the lack of symmetry of power in the employer-employee relationship and are expecting too much from employees while guaranteeing them so little.