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Relocating an Entire Software Engineering Team?

Posted by Cliff on from the mgmt-may-be-temporary-but-coders-are-forever dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "I was recently laid off, along with the entire Vancouver Development Centre, from a large network security company. The software engineering team at our office has performed well and is highly cohesive. I was wondering if anyone at Slashdot has been in a similar situation and the probability/prospects of being able to start a new venture with the existing team. I'm sure most understand the importance of a good team, and the time it takes to grow one. Is it worthwhile for the core team to pursue a new venture or should we all just disband and go our separate ways? Where might we find someone with the entrepreneurial mindset to take advantage of this great resource?"

3 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. sounds a lot like my company... by blackcoot · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ... which was founded by a bunch of SAICers. several former object video employees ended up joining shortly after the company was founded because OV had closed its denver offices and was about to lay them off. so far, it's turned out to be a really good thing for all involved (except object video, whom we now compete with).

    the only advice i can offer is make sure you're careful about the non-competes and ndas. other than that, it can end up working out well (as it has for folks in my company).

  2. I've been in this same situation by The+Slashdolt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I worked with a team of people who really worked well together. We were able to do some amazing things in very short amounts of time. We had a natural chemistry together. Sadly, the company was not very supportive of our efforts. Management figured that since we were all "high performers" we should be disbanded and put on other teams where we could bring other less than stellar teams up to our level. The frustration of moving from a talented and cohesive team to a team of underperformers was too much for many of us. In the end many people left to pursue other avenues. I myself now work for another company. We keep in touch with each other regularly. We are all hoping that in the near future a company will want to find such a team and we'll all work together again.

    --
    mp3's are only for those with bad memories
  3. really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
    Let's say you were playing a 2-on-2 basketball game. Who would you prefer as a team mate: Michael Jordan or Rosanne Barr? That's a rhetorical question, but it's also the wrong question. Would Michael Jordan want you for a team mate?

    Are you sure there's no dead weight on your team (maybe even yourself)?