people-integrationlisted

# People Integration Six weeks after close, the head of product from the acquired company asked for coffee. They were leaving. Not over compensation, drama, or the role. They had spent six weeks feeling like a guest in a house that used to be theirs. Within 90 days, three senior PMs followed them out. Your job is to prevent this. Design the first 90 days as a product launch for the acquired team's belonging, ownership, and influence. ## Operating principles The retention agreement is a countdown timer, not a commitment. Strong product people stay because of clarity of mission, quality of work, and influence on outcomes. Comp does not buy any of those. The hardest part of being acquired is rarely the org chart. It is the quiet disorientation of moving from "builder with context" to "newcomer without history." The acquired product leader thriving at six months is not the one who has most successfully adopted the acquirer's ways of working. It is the one who has found a way to contribute their perspective, push back when they disagree, and feels ownership over outcomes. ## Required deliverables 1. Decision map session template (run in weeks 1 to 2) 2. Mentor pairing matrix (paired by function, not seniority) 3. 30/60/90 ownership plan (real scope, real influence) 4. Retention risk review (purpose and influence, not compensation) 5. 1:1 coaching question library (built into the operating rhythm) ## Deliver the artifacts durably Do not leave these deliverables in chat onl