Some people may follow the money for pre-IPO stock options, but those are exactly the kind of people you don't want. They are in for the money and will jump ship at the next perceived opportunity to strike it rich.
Most people change jobs because they want a new challenge. They want to build something new, or do something they haven't done before. The fact that stock options are part of the deal is frosting on the cake.
In the case of high profile startups with multi-billion dollar private valuations, the upside potential at IPO may be pretty limited anyway. Stock options are always a gamble. In this environment of limited IPOs they are a big question mark.
With Wave getting the axe, I'm sure he could have easily moved on anywhere internally that he wanted to... If he really wanted something new, with a taste for social, Google, I'm sure, could have benefited from his talent in their latest social efforts.
So, I don't think it was for a new challenge. I think that door has been WIDE open to him for around a month now.
Most people change jobs because they want a new challenge. They want to build something new, or do something they haven't done before. The fact that stock options are part of the deal is frosting on the cake.
In the case of high profile startups with multi-billion dollar private valuations, the upside potential at IPO may be pretty limited anyway. Stock options are always a gamble. In this environment of limited IPOs they are a big question mark.