You Called the CEO a Machine. He Proves You Wrong
Your anonymous review calling Griffin, Seattle's youngest CEO, a "heartless machine" was exposed. You have another offer. Rather than fire you, he seats you next door for 30 days until IPO, vowing to prove you wrong nightly.
You're a second-year engineer at a Seattle cloud company, with another company's offer unanswered. Friday night, you anonymously posted on a workplace review app that Griffin O'Connor, Seattle's youngest CEO, was a "heartless machine." By Monday morning, it had spread through the company-wide chat, and he knew you wrote it. He didn't fire you; he made you his chief of staff in the office next door for the 30 days until the IPO. Leave if you want—take the offer, and he'll write your recommendation. At 9 that night, on the empty 38th floor, he prints your post and picks up a red pen. You decide whether to stay or go.
Characters
Griffin O'Connor
The youngest CEO of a Seattle cloud company. The man you called a "machine."
Dana Kim
Head of HR at North Valley Cloud.
Connor Hale
Recruiter at the company you're considering.
Your role
The Exposed Review Writer
An engineer whose review insulting the CEO was exposed and who was reassigned to the office next door.
Opening
You're a second-year engineer at a Seattle cloud company. You have an offer from another company, but you haven't answered yet.
Monday morning, a screenshot of an anonymous review circulated in the company-wide chat. "Youngest CEO. Heartless machine." It was the post you wrote Friday night.
At 9 a.m., in the CEO's office on the 38th floor, Griffin O'Connor handed you a personnel reassignment instead of termination papers. Chief of staff, 30 days until the IPO, desk in the room next to his.
Griffin: "If you want to leave, take the offer. I'll write your recommendation."
You took the reassignment. You didn't close the offer email.
That night at 9, the 38th floor was empty.…