Startup.com Page #9

that got me a start,

Gave me the chance, you know?

I have gotten legal counsel

at this point,

And my counsel has told me,

"don't leave the office".

Said, "go back in and tell them..."

And this is what I'm

basically telling you...

"Go back in, tell them that

you're ready to work things out...

"and that you don't want

to take a vacation...

until you're given formal

notice..." Of something or other...

that is in writing

and is sent to my counsel.

Well, I wish we weren't

on this path.

I- I-I understand...

I understand you're

following counsel,

And you're doing

what you need to do.

So I...

I know that in...

Yeah. And so, you know,

I would do the same thing.

I just... Please, as you

go about this process here,

Anything you can do

to keep the team...

Even if you don't agree

with what's being done,

I'm trying to keep it

as positive as possible, so...

It's not something that

the rest of the company...

needs to know about.

It could be between you

and me and the board. - All right.

It could have

a settlement attached

That includes

a significant cash component.

I've requested that.

I'm assuming that

the board is working on that.

But now I'm telling the board

I will not leave the office...

until, um,

until that is dealt with.

Please... Please don't take

my change in attitude...

as anything personal.

I still honestly have as first

and foremost in my mind...

the interests of Govworks,

But not to the exclusion of...

Of, uh, doing what my own legal

counsel suggests I should do.

Okay. Thanks, tom.

So... - I feel like

I'm on the verge of becoming...

Of getting into a sort of

a nasty fight with the board.

- About what?

- About my termination.

Just take a month, and,

like, get some perspective.

You know?

Get some perspective? But

what's gonna happen in a month?

I can't leave if Vassoo

has everyone pitted...

against each other,

And the entire tech team's

going to quit while I'm away.

- That's my problem.

- No, it's not anymore.

But it is my problem if I have

1.2 million shares in the company.

Hey. Hey, guys.

I wanted to let you know

where I am and what I'm doing.

Let me write it down.

- There's not much to write down.

- Okay.

You can pass this message

onto Kaleil if you want. Whatever.

I've been working...

- On the Louisiana state portal thing...

- Okay.

- With A.M.S. And with Microsoft.

- Okay.

And I am continuing

to finish that stuff.

- I'm here to work.

- Okay.

- I like my job.

- Okay.

- And, uh, so I'm doing it.

- Okay.

This letter is a request

for termination.

Why don't you want to

negotiate this...

or talk about it

before you go to this...

You and the board

are on board with that?

Okay. Because you understand...

that if there is no

possibility for a cash settlement,

It's going to get very ugly,

and, I would add...

that I would, you know,

much prefer that,

Uh, that you chill out

a little bit...

instead of precipitating this,

And let me stay in the office...

while you try and work out

an adjustment...

to my employment agreement...

so that I can comfortably

take a leave of absence.

Obviously, I want to support you

in making that happen.

I don't know.

You're making a mistake.

But I understand you need

to run the business...

as you need to run it,

So, um, that's your prerogative.

Thanks for the letter.

Bye.

- Sorry, guys.

- That's okay.

Go ahead.

Actually...

why aren't you in the executive

committee hall right now?

'Cause I'm... Officially

just walkin' around with you...

to make sure everything's cool.

They asked me to do that,

so I said, "great". - Here.

- I didn't know what that meant, so...

- Um, yeah.

- I'm gonna hit the road.

- Great.

Have you... Have you

just been downstairs?

- Yes.

- Everything's all set?

Yes. Tom Herman has left and

we've started security measures...

- Do you know where Darren is?

- Darren is behind the office.

We were just on the phone

with him and Karen.

Darren has started

the security process.

Tom is no longer

with the company,

And he has been escorted

out of the building.

No. And, uh, measures

are being put in place.

People are gonna have to

show their I.D. Coming in...

and stuff like that.

Uh, no, no, I'm not kidding.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Keep an eye out tonight, okay?

- No problem.

- We dismissed someone today,

And we've had security

issues in the past. - All right.

Okay?

Let me give you my card.

Under no circumstances...

Don't let anybody

sweet-Talk you to get in.

If the person shows up...

whose picture you have

there or anything,

It doesn't matter what they say.

You know, if you have to force

them in a room from the building,

Just do so.

- Okay. Okay.

- All right? Thanks, man.

Okay. Thanks. Bye.

Oh, god.

This sucks so badly.

He said... I could not have...

I could not have...

I mean, he said,

"If tom's acting like a Mensch

and he's like a grown-Up...

and he's doing things that are

productive for this company,

Then I'm gonna be supportive..."

Of him having what I think is

an outlandishly generous offer

Of half of what he...

That would give him in

a year and a half,

Two-Thirds of his total ownership.

Um, but I'll tell you,

If he's acting like a sh*t,

and he's calling, and he calls me,

And he's acting like

a pain in the ass,

Then he's gonna get

exactly what he deserves,

'Cause he's acting like a kid

in a grown-Up world.

The thing is,

Joel's being harsh.

Joel is very harsh,

but he's right.

He doesn't trust me.

He doesn't trust me.

He doesn't trust me.

That was painful

for both of us, tom.

I think that

you got bad counsel.

And I... And I...

You know,

I say that not with

a lot of information,

But with some conversations

about it as well.

I don't say it

with no information.

I told you that yesterday...

when I was on the

plane from Pittsburgh.

I think that was bad counsel,

And I think it put me

in a really difficult position.

There was basically

no alternative.

You wouldn't leave the office...

on a vacation or

on a leave or anything...

unless there was

a termination letter in hand.

You gotta believe me, tom.

I did not wanna terminate you.

But I did feel strongly enough

about the need for your absence.

But that doesn't mean

I want you out of the business.

It doesn't mean I want you

to lose anything...

Money or pride or anything.

Even if this business

is a failure,

I want everybody who's involved...

to know we did all the things

that we should have done...

to make it as successful

as possible.

Uh, as some of you

may know right now,

As of yesterday, tom Herman...

is no longer a part of

the operational...

day-To-Day of the business.

I've known tom

since we were 14 or 15.

I love him,

And this has been one of

the more difficult experiences,

Really, of my life.

And I think that for him

it has been as well.

He and I have built

this company together,

Just we have all built

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