Letting talent walk out the door is always a mistake. Seems like the idiots who run Incisive Media just let Shaq (aka Danny Sullivan) walk out the door. They just lost their franchise... Danny will be scooped up in 10 seconds, or do his own thing and make Incisive look like the dolts they clearly are.
Dumb, dumb, dumb.... talent wins. Worship your talent, give them whatever they want, and never let them walk out the door.
Danny speaks here.
Danny Sullivan is leaving Search Engine Watch. Wha- Wha- What!?!??!!??!?
Reader Comments
(Page 1 of 1)2. I couldn't agree with you more. So much so that I actually recorded a podcast a couple of days ago at http://www.managingthegray.com/2006/08/23/keeping-the-best-talent/ that is all about this topic.
Sorry for the shameless plug, but it was right on topic.
One of these days companies will realize that most people wannt to stay with a company rather then making a change, but you've got to make it worth it for the top talent to stick around.
Posted at 1:11PM on Aug 29th 2006 by C.C. Chapman
3. ..."give them whatever they want"
jason calacanis - an insanely hard negotiator, sharper than a kitchen knife...and you want to be the next barry diller:):) what a joke.
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Posted at 1:20PM on Aug 29th 2006 by look
4. It could be that he wanted to go out on his own or expand his horizons? (i.e. bored of the environment?)
Posted at 1:57PM on Aug 29th 2006 by Salman
5. Why don't you offer *him* a job, or is that kind of play reserved solely for unemployed chicks with big cans?
Posted at 3:23PM on Aug 29th 2006 by n00b
6. I'm not sure. I guess Calacanis isn't loud enough. Amanda from Rocketboom never even politely declined his offer; or anything.
I think Netscape has enough SEO talent I think - but heck why not let Netscape be authoritative in a SEO blog featuring Danny? Ideas ideas... :)
Posted at 5:13PM on Aug 29th 2006 by Joseph Manna
7. You never know how the last raw deal went down. Maybe Danny had an offer he couldn't refuse. At one point it was hard to envision Apple without Steve Jobs. Oh, he came back, didn't he? Arrogance and complacency on Incisive's part no doubt was a factor... Letterman goes to NBC, yada yada yada...
Posted at 7:40PM on Aug 29th 2006 by Victor Agreda Jr
8. Never? "The idiots"?
I agree that talent is important and that you should do what you can to keep it. But, you can't say this everytime someone talented leaves an organization. That's just not realistic. Regardless of what you do, it isn't possible to always keep your talent. Sometimes they want to go out on their own, regardless of what you give them. Sometimes, even the talent can turn out to be the idiots, as well.
9. Idiots! They will decay soon.
Posted at 5:08AM on Aug 30th 2006 by surg@surgeonbeauty.com
10. hmm. and who is he after that? Danny Sullivan had a mistake...
Posted at 7:28AM on Aug 30th 2006 by big
11. "Seems like the idiots who run Incisive Media just let Shaq (aka Danny Sullivan) walk out the door."
Um, you're not confusing identities are you?
cf: http://www.chinawhite.net
Very different people, I can assure you. :)
Posted at 4:31AM on Aug 31st 2006 by Brian Turner
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1. After 10 years, I'm not surprised. He's likely made some good coin and is getting a little bored.
As per talent. I think there's a difference between having good talent and having your a person figure-head a company. The second is a bad thing (case-in-point SEW).
Posted at 12:37PM on Aug 29th 2006 by Randy Charles Morin