🏛 Going through an Acquisition or Acquihire as a Software Engineer

An acquihire is when a larger company buys a smaller company primarily for the talent, rather than the technology or products. In many cases, the small company's employees are offered jobs at the larger company, often with hefty raises.

As someone who has gone through an acquihire, I can tell you that it's a thrilling but also nerve-wracking experience. On one hand, you're excited about the new opportunities that come with working for a bigger company. On the other hand, you're worried about how the culture change will affect you and your work.

In this blog post, I'll share my experience with going through an acquihire and offer some tips for those of you who may be considering it.

The acquisition process can be divided into three main phases: pre-acquisition, acquisition, and post-acquisition. Pre-acquisition phase: This is when rumors of an acquisition start to circulate and the employees start getting antsy. In my experience, this is also when tensions between management and employees tend to run high. The key here is to stay calm and focused on your work. Try to avoid office politics as much as possible. Acquisition phase: This is when the final details of the acquisition are being ironed out and everyone is just waiting for the announcement to be made. again, it's important to stay calm and focused on your work during this time. The last thing you want to do is give your manager or HR something to worry about. Post-acquisition phase: This is when everything has been finalized and you're now officially part of the larger company. Congrats! This is also when things can get really hectic as you try to learn the ropes of your new job while also dealing with all the changes that come with working for a new company. My best advice for this phase is to take things one day at a time and be patient. It will take some time to adjust but eventually things will settle down and you'll find your groove again.

If you're a software engineer who is going through an acquihire, I hope this thoughts can be helpful in giving you some insights into what to expect. Acquisitions can be a great opportunity to further your career but they can also be stressful experiences. Just remember to stay calm and focused on your work throughout the process, and things will eventually fall into place.