I had been a key manager at my previous place of employment. I was responsible for a large increase in market share and revenue.
One day the owner comes in and tells all the managers we are worthless and don't know what we're doing. HE"S going to fix everything.
We proceed to scrap the business model that has increased the revenue of the company 4x in 6 years.
I seel the writng on the wall, and start interviewing. Have 7-8 interviews, narrow the field down to 2, then worked out a deal with the best future.
Gave my two weeks notice. Offered to spend the next two weeks training and tieing up loose ends. Everything was squared away before I had the meeting.
They were shocked that a manager would actual leave, and said I was making a mistake. I really thought I would be shown the door, but to my surpise, they accepted the two weeks, and I was stuck to work it out. The asked where I was going, but I just said I was going to take a month off, and start a new parth.
A week later, I had really finished everything I needed to do to hand off my stuff. There wasn't a chance in hell they could handle it.
I announnce my leaving on Friday, my #2 announced his resignation on Monday and left immediately. I left after the first week.
Then things get interesting. Send my computer off to a forensic computer specialist to see if took company info or recruited.
The non-compete was horribly written, and had huge holes. It was worthless, and had an attorney review before I left.
#2 joins the same firm. Two months later, another key member of my dept. joins us.
Old dept. self-destructs. Then the rest of the company. CEO hires a distaster in the making and took the company for a very expensive ride.
Lost 30% in the first year.
Then the CEO hires private investigators to follow me to find out where I went, get lawyers involved, and goes off the deep end.
I am their competitor now.
My ace in the hole is I know where the "bodies are buried"
Nothing happens. Year later the CEO states the he made a huge mistake and starts rebuilding my business plan .
The CEO and I were fairly close and took my leaving personally. It wasn't on myt part, but I did not want to be part of the destruction of my work.