My manager called me to a meeting with HR. «Kira, after 15 years, we’re restructuring your position,» she announced smugly. «Clean out your desk by Friday.» I smiled politely and said, «Completely understand.» They had no idea how Monday would be fun…

I had several refinements I never shared with TechVantage, I admitted. After I discovered they were planning to eliminate my position, I saw no reason to give them my best work. Their loss, our gain, Greg replied with a satisfied smile.

Speaking of which, the first licensing inquiry came in this morning. Not from TechVantage yet. They’re still in denial.

But from Dataflow Systems. They’re worried about being caught in the crossfire. At 3.30pm, Miguel sent a detailed account of Victor’s all-hands meeting.

The CEO had tried to project confidence, assuring the staff that TechVantage would vigorously defend our proprietary technology. But the anxiety in the room had been palpable. Several employees had already updated their LinkedIn profiles, sensing the company’s vulnerability.

Marjorie looked like she was about to faint when someone asked directly if they’d failed to secure the patent, Miguel reported. Victor cut the question period short after that. By Wednesday, the industry fallout had intensified.

Two major clients had contacted Precision Systems about switching from account sphere, concerned about TechVantage’s ability to maintain the product without the algorithm’s creator. Our stock had risen another 8%, while TechVantage’s continued its decline. I received a call from Denise in HR, the same woman who had slid my severance package across the table just days earlier.

Kira, she began, her voice carefully professional. I’m calling to discuss the, um, situation with your patent. We believe there may have been a misunderstanding about ownership rights.

I don’t think there’s any misunderstanding, I replied calmly. My employment agreement clearly states that intellectual property developed on my own time, using my own resources, remains mine. The patent documentation confirms exactly that.

Victor was hoping you might consider coming in to discuss options. Any discussions would need to go through Precision Systems’ legal department now, I responded. I’m sure they’d be happy to set up a meeting to discuss licensing terms.

The silence on the other end spoke volumes. Finally, Denise sighed. I’ll pass that along.

That afternoon, I led my first formal presentation to Precision Systems’ board of directors, outlining our technology roadmap with my algorithm at its center. As I stood confidently at the head of the table, not hidden in the back as I had been at TechVantage, I caught Greg’s approving nod. By Friday, just one week after I had walked out of TechVantage for the last time, the company had entered full crisis mode.

Their stock had fallen 23% from Monday’s opening bell, triggering concerned calls from major investors. Industry analysts were publishing speculative pieces with titles like Can TechVantage Survive the Algorithm Crisis? and How One Strategic Blunder May Cost a Tech Giant Everything. Through my industry contacts, I learned that Victor had finally acknowledged the severity of the situation to the board.

TechVantage would need to either license my algorithm from Precision Systems, likely at exorbitant rates that would devastate their profit margins, or undertake a complete rebuild of Accountsphere, without using any technology covered by my patent. They’ve started interviewing for a new development team. Miguel informed me during our Friday video call, where we discussed his upcoming transition to Precision Systems.

Victor’s claiming they can recreate the functionality in six months. I couldn’t help but laugh. The original algorithm took me three years to perfect, and that was with intimate knowledge of the problem space.

Exactly, Miguel agreed. Nobody’s believing the timeline, especially after your team posted their resignation letters simultaneously. The knowledge drain is massive.

That afternoon, TechVantage’s attorneys finally reached out to Precision Systems to open a dialogue about potential licensing arrangements. Our legal team, following the strategy we had developed, responded with terms that were technically fair but strategically painful, three times the standard industry licensing rate, plus a public acknowledgement of my role as the technology’s inventor. They’ll balk at the acknowledgement more than the cost.

Greg predicted as we reviewed the response in his office. Victor’s ego won’t allow him to admit he pushed out the person who created their core technology. Then they’ll have to rebuild, I replied, and every day they spend trying to replicate my work is another day we extend our lead in the market…