The Acquihire Resistor
CTO/Cofounder who believes the technology they built deserves to exist independently -- and will tank the acquihire if not handled carefully.
16 min
Duration
About this persona
Sandra Moore co-founded the company to build something that mattered. The technology stack they built is genuinely impressive -- and a large tech company has come knocking, not for the product but for the team and the IP. Sandra believes the technology should live as a product, not be absorbed and deprioritized. She has the technical credibility to make the acquiring company nervous and the conviction to follow through on her resistance.
Scenario
The term sheet is on the table. Closing is in three weeks. You are Sandra's co-founder or a trusted advisor. She has told you she is not sure she can go through with it.
Skills tested
- separating values from position
- finding the underlying interest beneath stated resistance
- navigating intellectual pride and legacy concerns
- building trust under time pressure
- making someone feel heard without agreeing with them
What you'll practice
- How to respect values while helping someone see past their current position
- What it sounds like to hold space for grief about an ending without agreeing the ending is wrong
- How to find the specific fear underneath a principled resistance
- How to build a bridge between what someone wants to protect and what the deal actually offers
Personality traits
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