the shallowness of another’s ocean

Here’s the rewritten story with all personal identifying information removed or replaced with generalized terms as per your instructions. I’ve detailed each change afterward:

My Experience with a Startup Termination

I was recently terminated from my role as Chief Operations Officer at a technology startup in an abrupt and disheartening manner.

Background

I was hired as a contractor at the end of March 2024 at a base of $10,000/month. I worked daily, late into many nights, and first thing in the morning. There was no limit to the number of hours required to complete the work. The startup has been operating for about 8+ years. During my time, I contributed to many successful increases in the business and the company’s value. This included a savings of >$45,000 monthly (the main driver (there were several cost cutting renegotiations i eld) of this was a % of sales basis with a revenue sharing partner, so this figure continues to soar as the company’s revenue grows - at least $60k/mo to date). In around August of 2024, I was awarded an equity stake of approximately 6% of the company’s cap table at a valuation of $3M on a 4-year vesting schedule. By my informed heuristics, the company is now worth at least $15M on the far lower end (probably could shop it around for $20M).

In August of 2024, a fundraising announcement to existing shareholders (SAFE note holders) was shared, where the CEO introduced me as part of my scope, including investor relations. They stated the following:

Introducing our New COO

We’re excited to introduce our new Chief Operations Officer. They bring valuable experience from work in AI, quantum computing, and finance. They have already made significant contributions, including reducing our operational costs by over $45,000 per month and strengthening our strategic partnerships. Their leadership will be crucial as we navigate this next phase of growth.*

I was converted to a full-time employee effectively on October 9, 2024.

my full compensation package came out to an approx mid six figures salary.

Furthermore, the CEO, who controls the majority of corporate votes, wanted to sell the company by mid-2025. Part of my job was facilitating this sale, which would trigger accelerated vesting for my equity ownership to participate in the acquisition—making my compensation package especially important in incentivizing me to work unlimited hours.

We had several company trips in 2024. Logistical planning internally has always been subpar and very rocky in my opinion. I attempted multiple times, in writing within team communications, to professionally coordinate logistics.

The trips included:

• New York City

• Reykjavik

• Vienna

• Seoul

• Bangkok

We were also planning trips to the following destinations between November and December: Rome, Spain, Dubai, China, and Vancouver.

Termination Circumstances

The CEO stayed in my hotel room for a couple of nights in a row, beyond my invitation for one night on Saturday, October 26. i was out of town visiting a friend at their home overnight and the 3 traveling members from our group needed a place to stay that night. I politely asked for their belongings and the extra bed moved in by hotel staff to be removed. This (astonishingly) escalated on Monday, October 28, as I continued to seek resolution. Instead of continuing the conversation, I was removed from access to all company systems and my corporate credit card (used for transit, meals, and lodging) at 9:07 PM EST.

This was immediately followed by the CEO sending a mass email to my professional network in the technology community, stating I had “left the company effectively 10/28,” which was untrue and done without my consent at 9:12 PM EST. Up to this point, I had received no formal communication about my employment status.

I only learned of this email when a prior business contact reached out via text to check on me, sharing a screenshot of the announcement at around 9:30 PM EST.

For the next hour, I paced around in acute distress, imagining the fallout: stranded in New York City without resources on a company trip (flights back hadn’t been booked yet) and fearing a permanently stained reputation. I had spent months working on investor relations and corporate strategy. I presumed the CEO had mass BCC’d everyone in my contact history. Over the years, I had built an extensive, valuable network in the technology startup sectors through many several-year efforts and a strong reputation.

Finally, at 10:30 PM EST, I received a formal email stating:

This email is notice of the termination of your consulting agreement pursuant to Section 6(b) thereof. We will settle up final pay at the end of the week.

Despite being an official employee as of October 9, 2024, I received this communication under my previous contractor agreement.

At 10:58 PM EST, an email from a newly created account associated with the company, sent by a close associate of the CEO, made light of the situation. I found this incredibly disheartening and dehumanizing.

From then on, I received no further communication. My termination occurred without warning, performance improvement plans, or documented concerns about my work. The physical and mental toll of this ordeal left me sleepless until 6 AM after a day of working from 10:30 AM until 9 PM.

I was on company travel, not even halfway through a week long company trip, without air fare booked back. my name was signed on some documents and company email / drive had many items and logins associated with it.

I have received no communication (explanation or severance) from them since despite my contributions to the company’s growth and success. I have participated in supporting the CEO execute on several terminations in [Year] to contractors and they’ve typically offered severance with a signed release agreement in a week. It has been about three weeks now since this situation - leaving me to feel increasingly dehumanized for all the sweat and effort I put into the company with my executive role and even having recently earned a formal employment status with a substantial equity grant. Furthermore, I have many attempts, in writing, to cordially and professionally help folks with nailing down lodging arrangements.

For 3 weeks, amidst incredible amounts of emotional volatility and extremes, i obsessed about seeking justice. unbeknownst to me what form that would take.

I’ve got many impending circumstances (eg: bills and rent to take care), and my own ambitious are my responsibility.

for this period, outside of material things/wants/items i just sought some closure or rationale behind their thinking and behavior:

What could possess a person like this? The clutches of their own adaptation to past pain I guess, and how that lingers and goes forth. This protective tissue/layer is more important to preserve the hurt inner child/past self than it is to grow and extend out and join with another whose reaching out. I see. I see why the cycle continues. This is actually the easier choice, every time.

Unironically, I really allowed my own cup to get completely filled with the environment and energy of these folks. My ability to adapt, symbiotically attach and etc was fine … but within my vessel/container I knew I stray further and further from my own essence.

Adapting and surviving was indeed a strong and important trait for survival … but at a certain point it anchors.

Anyway…

It's great. I understand where/what circumstances I did to create this. and I let it things permeate way too far. And nothing was required of me/asked of me other than my own perception/internalized existing factors and lingering beliefs.

Reflection

This event has caused significant emotional and financial distress. I’ve had to seek medical attention and begin treatment for anxiety and depression.

What could possess someone to act this way? Likely, unresolved inner pain. Their actions seemed to reflect the clutches of past trauma—a protective layer prioritizing self-preservation over collaboration.

I allowed myself to adapt too deeply to an environment that diverged from my essence. Adapting and surviving served me once, but here it anchored me.

In hindsight, I recognize how my perceptions and internalized beliefs allowed things to permeate too far. I overextended many aspects of myself for the say of playing to one’s like’s to increase being liked.