In July 2012, the cofounders of CloudFlare, a Silicon Valley startup that protects websites and accelerates their traffic, are considering the implications of five employees' resignations over the prior three months. Was this natural attrition for a high-tech venture with a staff of 35 experiencing explosive growth, or were the resignations symptomatic of bigger issues with CloudFlare's culture and management processes? After describing CloudFlare's early history, business model, organization structure, and human resources policies, the case presents first-person accounts from employees regarding their reasons for resigning, and then asks whether CloudFlare's cofounders should take any corrective actions.

Discussion Questions

What business is CloudFlare in?
What kind of company culture did the founders create at CloudFlare?
What phase of company evolution is CloudFlare in?
How does CloudFlare recruit new talent?
Review the five resignations. What caused each to resign?
What advice would you give the CloudFlare founders to help the company grow into a major force in the Content Delivery Market?