and your idea does not involve use of any company resource. Would you rather quit XOM and start your own company with the idea, or would you commercialize the idea with XOM? Are people rewarded for commercialization within XOM?
8 replies (most recent on top)
People in XOM are only rewarded for brown-nosing. Nothing else.
Quit, definitely.
I remember a series of EMRE presentations focused on out-of-the-box ideas that had been successfully enabled (internally) or commercialised (externally). For management (our fearless leaders) the purpose was to inspire innovation and teamwork.
However, most people just took away the common theme from each presentation: management will fight tooth and nail to k–l novel ideas and if you want to see it through, you’ll have to do all of the necessary work in your own time.
First, get a really good lawyer. Second, find each and every employment document you ever signed with EM and read the fine print. Third, get some additional really good lawyers and settle in for a long battle. LOL
If the idea is how to make cookies last longer on the shelf, it may be yours to keep. But, if it remotely in any way concerns the oil industry or associated industries, EM can claim that the idea is related to your employment and they have most or all rights to it.
All they need is one related google search from company property, whether on a company device or not, and you have a potential conflict. If you left absolutely no tracks, quit first and then pursue, but if you have a real money maker, don't be surprised if EM shows up on your doorstep with a lawsuit. They own all IP developed under your employment if they can show it was conceived or developed while on the payroll. It's a huge hurdle to clear. They can even identify you from this site with the proper legal documents, so you already screw*d up.
Quit, hands down. Literally a few weeks ago I was talking to some people at the company who had invented something and were looking for opportunities to commercialize it. Instead they got the rug pulled from under them. And guess what? One of the big tech companies just announced a similar concept getting released soon. #winning
If your goal is to profit from that idea, you’d have to quit. To be fair, this is true at any company. If you mature your billion dollar idea within a large company, you might get some small bonus, recognition/job security, and a few attaboys, but they won’t be giving you a cut that’s “fair”. That’s part of the trade-off you make by working at a big company: they own your IP.
Quit. XOM isn't interested in commercializing new ideas, especially if they are in conflict with their existing business model. I'd stay if I wanted to see my idea die on a shelf while XOM pays it lipservice.
Quit for sure
I would just quit.. this place is full of back stabbers who would try to k–l the idea or take credit for it.. it will take decades before anything can go through here