A grudge?
They've just been put into a strong negotiating position, because now both parties acknowledge that these are key employees.
They've just been put into a strong negotiating position, because now both parties acknowledge that these are key employees.
This is why I think current org structures, and incentives, don't map properly to SWE and fuels this employment theater of "trust me I'm not a cog" => "trust me you are".
Don't know what an ideal arrangement would be, maybe SaaS is closer. Even then, still have to convince some 'cogs' to build your SaaS corp while you recoup 90% margins off their labor which is a fast path to class consciousness and we're back at square one!
Your key workers are now paid at market rate, and those who were unnecessary will find other jobs.