Send Noncompete Agreements Back to the Middle Ages
I've had non competes at my last 3 jobs (all in web hosting)<p>The first, a darling "startup" adored by investors and customers alike sued me twice, sent a process server to my door at 6am on a saturday and tried to call me in for a deposition the afternoon of Christmas eve.  They regularly win company culture awards and receive undeserved praise for being a place people can grow.  I had a chance to grow from IC to VP and they did everything they could legally do to stop me.<p>The second, a publicly traded hosting company that has battled negative public perception for years had an EVP handle it wherein he basically said "sounds like you are leaving for a great opportunity.  We wish you and your family well and you'll always be 'one of us.'"<p>The third company voluntarily and without my asking remover the non compete from my separation paperwork.<p>Non competes are a disaster and always will be.  But how companies enforce them is the real culprit.