One of Juniper Networks Inc.'s (Nasdaq: JNPR) original engineers and the head of its ASIC team have left the company, Light Reading has learned.
Ashok Krishnamurthi, VP of the infrastructure products group, and R.K. Anand, VP of ASIC engineering, have both left, according to sources. Timing on their departures is unclear, although it could have been as much as a month ago.
Juniper officials would not confirm whether the two had left, citing a policy not to comment on the status of current or former employees. However, Krishnamurthi's bio was removed from Juniper's Website sometime in the last 48 hours.
Krishnamurthi was one of Juniper's original engineers, having joined "in early 1996 to help found the company," according to the erstwhile bio, but he wasn't part of the founding team, a Juniper spokeswoman notes.
It doesn't appear that the two have left to join BCN, a router startup led by yet another Juniper departee, Michael Beesley (see BCN Joins Router Race). Instead, sources say it's likely Krishnamurthi and Anand have decided to start their own venture.
So, what's with these Juniper folks catching the startup bug? Is it a coincidence? A brain drain? A flight from a coworker who refuses to use deodorant?
Some say the executives' departures are a logical effect of Juniper's current adolescent period. The company started with a mission to outdo Cisco Systems Inc.'s (Nasdaq: CSCO) IP routers. Now it's bolstering its ATM and multiservice offerings with products such as the M320 and getting into enterprise business with the acquisition of NetScreen Technologies Inc. (see Juniper Hatches the M320 and Juniper Buys NetScreen). It's possible the old guard is pining for the days of an IP-focused startup.
Krishnamurthi's departure is significant, but there are no outward signs of a deeper problem. "It's not like Juniper's falling apart," one competitor says.
>I was told there was less politics and people >were somewhat more comfortable in Juniper's >east coast office (I guess Westford, MA). > >Is this the case or it's the same everywhere?
It is the same everywhere. The difference is that on the east coast managers are as much discontent with the Juniper upper management as are the engineers - they have the common problem.
You are forgetting, given equal corruption of human resource (managers, leaders...) it is better to stick to big companies due to numerous reasons. In startups there are too much feudal mentality (we got the money...we are the king, is thinking of inner circle) and that becomes intolerable. What I am trying to say in startups there are no less amounts of politics and people get more affected.
Unfortunate part is most of the startups are JUNK startups and that is a LAW of nature. VCs know that and invests in hordes of startups. Founders and inner circle are ever affected wheher a startup is JUNK...workers need to be very careful in regards to where they chanelize their energy
>This is familiar argument, would not fly blaming >on one person. At the end judge those managers >on how badly they behaved with you to further >their own GREED (a few thousand option, >a few tens of thousands bucks...).
Unfortunately, there is no lack of such managers and executives within Juniper either. And this is actually happening right now as we speak and options are being refreshed within JNPR.
>They probably made money once but by all means >kill them now (curtail their influence by >spreading the word...). The point is >they should find it very difficult to hire on >easy terms....the same scam can not go on again >and again
This is familiar argument, would not fly blaming on one person. At the end judge those managers on how badly they behaved with you to further their own GREED (a few thousand option, a few tens of thousands bucks...).
They probably made money once but by all means kill them now (curtail their influence by spreading the word...). The point is they should find it very difficult to hire on easy terms....the same scam can not go on again and again
Master-servant way of functioning is at the CORE of many startups strategy....other way of stating that most of these are sweatshops run by leash wielding managers(shepards)
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