| What do you want to gain from this situation? What position are you in professionally after this experience? Meditate a lot on those two questions. Remember that there are countless stories like yours, and this does not prove that the people in charge are assholes, just that they are in the throes of the startup rollercoaster. They are probably failing all over themselves, and you were an easy fall guy. It does not excuse their behavior, but this is a very common circumstance. If the answer to the first question is that you want to get another job quickly, take the high ground and ask them how you can make things easier AND how they can help you. If you did nothing unscrupulous they should be willing to help you find another position and move on, and you should be expected to put them in a position where they can honestly look future investors in the eye and say we negotiated a settlement with past employees that will not screw us and your money in the future. If you did not help them succeed at the level they needed to (and this does not say you are a bad person, it just says you did not succeed at the level they needed you to) then it is good that your future has been freed up. It is honest for both parties to look at it this way. If the answer to the second question is that you are in a bad position after this, then you really need to make sure you act responsibly and rationally or you could have a very hard time the next time you interview. Saying to an interviewer "I can't have you talk to the people I worked with the last two years..." is a huge red flag. The best advice I ever got was when I was on the playground and another kid punched me in the chest and the teacher had us understand we were equally responsible. I was livid, and she was right. Taking the high road at this point in your career is a great opportunity for you because this situation is common and there is nothing worse than working with someone who has a chip on their shoulder because of something like this. If you become the type of person who can get through this and take the lessons well, you will prove yourself as a valuable employee anywhere. |