Imagine if SAS had been sold just before Viya had been green lighted...
27 replies (most recent on top)
“so what if you could have actually advanced elsewhere to become something at another company that wasn’t… a dinosaur farm where dreams and goals go to expire.”
I think about this, a bit too much. It’s hard not to look back.
But for those of us who spent most of our careers at SAS, the choice was not so clear. We saw the glory days. With the frequent changes in executive leadership, below the owners’ level, we had hopes that the glory days might come back.
Also, most of us focused on our work, on our own little projects. It was only after I left SAS that I looked at the market as a whole, and saw how other companies had grown. This may have been a case of the person stopping me being me. I should have paid more attention to the big picture.
After a certain age, of course, you don’t get any more chances to restart your career. So I deeply regret that I didn’t leave sooner. My main accomplishment is that I made enough to retire. But for young people, who still have career goals, the advice is sound:
“If the grass is greener, then move and get to grazing.”
“ so what if you could have actually advanced elsewhere to become something at another company that wasn't rife with nepotism and retired-in-place furniture?”
Only person stopping you is you.
It isn’t JG. It isn’t SAS.
If the grass is greener the move and get to grazing.
Instead of my $750K I'll just take the SAS lake
It's not funny at all. It's pathetic. it's pathetic that people actually believe they are owed something by this place. don't you understand we are supposed to just be grateful to be employed and insured? so what if you could have actually advanced elsewhere to become something at another company that wasn't rife with nepotism and retired-in-place furniture? nobody here cares. they like running this place like a dinosaur farm where dreams and goals go to expire.
This is the "imagine" game. Let people dream a bit.
Go work for OpenAI, you'll make that $750k in less than a year! 😆
I think rather that this thread started out tragic, and we made it funny:
But you are right: “The only beneficiaries will be the owners, and quite frankly that's the way it should be.” That’s the way capitalism works, that’s the deal we made, and we all knew it going in.
But man, once I get my $750K, I’ll forgive everybody everything 😂.
OMG, this thread has got seriously tragic!
If you want more money, look for another job because if SAS does ever sell, the only beneficiaries will be the owners, and quite frankly that's the way it should be.
never going to happen, but it's funny what everyone has come up with. might be better to visit vegas.
Damn you guys are free with someone else’s money.
“ $15B / 20K = $750,000 each. For that amount, we're willing to forgive 😁”
Might fine of you. He would probably jump at the chance to give you everything in exchange for forgiveness of laying off a small amount of employees.
"$416.6K per employee... Y'all are high."
You don't want your software made by just anyone, do you? SAS hired only the very best! 😂
" ==> $416.6K per employee That would be nice! "
Y'all are high.
How about equity based on some measure of actual contribution to the company. This is not perfect but a formula of: years-of-service * salary-at-exit to establish a baseline for determining how much each employee gets.
In some cases this will tip the scale unfairly to those who did not contribute as much but managed to get promoted in the high positions that paid extremely well, or who stayed a long time but didn’t contribute much and kept a low profile corresponding title.
Conversely, there are those who departed after decades of service with reasonably high salaries, yet whose contributions were even greater over time than others In the same salary range and years of service.
At least this method assigns a measurement to each employee’s contribution toward actually building SAS. Of course this would apply to all past, retired, etc. employees as well. Perhaps with a deduction in cases of those who took VRBO packages.
How 'bout:
Sale - $10B
Percent to employees - 50%
Number of employees (current only) - 12K
==> $416.6K per employee
That would be nice!
Oh wait .. but the OP said 10% of the sale price directed to employees (past and present). So .. my $75K was based on the 10%. I need to go back to my nap :-)
"$15B / 20K = $750,000 each. For that amount, we're willing to forgive 😁."
You are right! Missed a zero!! I guess that is some real $$$.
"I'm sorry for the ones who were mistreated."
I'm glad you had a better experience. Thank you for acknowledging ours.
$15B / 20K = $750,000 each. For that amount, we're willing to forgive 😁.
"...distributed equally to ALL SAS employees, past and current..."
Equity - no matter how much or how little you did, everyone gets the same. Those who do little or nothing are the biggest cheerleaders for that.
"to thank them for making him the richest man in NC and one of the richest men in the world."
I realize those with a bad experience feel differently, and I'm sorry for the ones who were mistreated. But I was fortunate to enjoy a long career at SAS. I enjoyed many years of a stable job in a fantastic environment, working with some fabulous folks, and getting paid a decent wage for my abilities. I owe Dr. G a big thank you. He owes me nothing.
"Imagine if JG sells all of SAS (to private equity firm or whoever) and then set aside 10% of the sale price to be distributed equally to ALL SAS employees, past and current, to thank them for making him the richest man in NC and one of the richest men in the world."
Even if you are generous with the sale price .. say $15B .. and conservative with the number of all SAS employees ever at 20K .. that is $75K per person. Not exactly going to move anyone's needle.
"...distributed equally to ALL SAS employees, past and current..." as in someone who's first day of employ when this event occurs receives the same amount as someone who has been there for 40 years? That does not seem very thankful, or so I imagine
Imagine if JG sells all of SAS (to private equity firm or whoever) and then set aside 10% of the sale price to be distributed equally to ALL SAS employees, past and current, to thank them for making him the richest man in NC and one of the richest men in the world.
Objectively the most correct response. SAS should have gone full ESOP. This would allow the Goodnights to retain controlling interest (or at least some interest), given employees an ownership stake, and set SAS up for success going forward in a post-Goodnight era.
Imagine a sweet price.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkgkThdzX-8
Imagine Dragons
Imagine if SAS had gone public and we had been given shares as employees...