Operators said

Leadership & culture

An advisor who joins a competitor matters very differently depending on whether they were a narrow advisor or 'inside the tent' on plans. Listen

Discussing a former Snowflake sales leader who was a board observer at Factory and then became CRO of competitor Cognition, Dev Ittycheria distinguished two kinds of advisor. One is consulted on a specific function, such as vetting a European hire. The other sees product roadmaps, board plans, financials and win/loss data against competitors. A move to a competitor by the first is unwelcome but acceptable to him; by the second it would be 'very, very different'. He disclosed ties to both companies, said he did not know the facts, and said an advisor with confidential access should be clear with the founder when considering a competitive move.

“That's very different than someone who's inside the tent looking at your product plans, your board plans, your financial plans”

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