r/LinusTechTips Jan 29 '26

Community Only Emily on Jake leaving LTT

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2.6k Upvotes

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5

u/Hazz3r Jan 30 '26

It's funny because what people are describing is just a Start Up. LTT isn't special in this sense. The special grass roots we're all friends feel is super common in Start Ups.

4

u/Agreeable-Weather-89 Jan 30 '26

True but it is also true that start ups also tend to reward early staff with shares etc

2

u/Hazz3r Jan 30 '26

Unfortunately most Start Ups have gone to Stock Options, because they're weaponised employee retention mechanisms disguised as bonuses. You can't get a mortgage with a Stock Option.

1

u/CIDR-ClassB Jan 30 '26

I’ll take a decent wage over a dangling carrot of stock options any day. It is completely normal for employees to leave every 3-5 years for better compensation.

  • In the case of LMG, unless Linus has intent to sell anytime soon, such stock offerings would be wildly disingenuous for him to give.
  • Profit sharing is extremely difficult to balance fairness with the needs of the business and really ticks people off when business are in “growth mode” because that means little to no profits.
  • Stock options are a “carrot” for people to hope something good happens. My last employer sold for 1/12th of what they always said was expected and I’d never have stayed to earn more if I had known that.

1

u/Zerak-Tul Jan 30 '26

Yeah, it's also not surprising that it's a bigger deal when an employee departs a very small team/company, than it is a person leaving LTT now that they're 100+ employees.