Just curious - have any investors pulled out of an investment because one or more of the most senior / talented employees of a firm has left to found their own or to join a competitor? One employer I worked with had pretty much grown around the skills of a tech lead whose business they had bought out. If he had left, their growth would have been compromised. Saying that, I thought he was under-compensated - I am not sure what the compensation model should be to retain key talent, but I think part ownership of the fruits of one's labour seems logical. This is at least an incentive to stay as opposed to a disincentive to leave.