'This sucks': Datto founder slams Kaseya for 'snuffing the flame' of MSP vendor

'This sucks', Austin McChord said, who added that Datto members have reached out 'deeply dismayed'

Datto founder and former CEO has accused Kaseya of "snuffing the flame" of Datto's culture in a damaging tirade over its recent $6.2bn acquisition of the MSP.

Austin McChord claims that current Datto team members say post deal changes are damaging the company and have reached out "deeply dismayed".

"This sucks," he said. "It feels like you just bought a leading football team and are in the process of breaking all the players legs. This is not a winning strategy. It will hurt the entire MSP industry."

It comes just two weeks after Kaseya confirmed it had completed its acquisition of Datto after announcing the deal back in April.

Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola told CRN back in May that the company wants to "embrace Datto's culture" and that the brand "is going nowhere".

He added: "We are going to keep what makes Datto awesome. Everything you like about Datto we're going to do our damnedest to keep it.

"We want to make it better. We want to give more choice, more options, more integration, more resources, that's what we do every time we buy someone and that playbook should not change.

"The most important thing in this business is our MSP customers. We're trying to make the experience better."

But McChord, who founded Datto in 2007, said there has been a "ton of unnecessary fear" induced into the workplace after hearing from current members.

He wrote in a Github post: "This past week, many current members of the Datto team have reached out deeply dismayed.

"There is a concern that the current trajectory from Datto's new owners will snuff the flame that makes Datto a place to come ‘Do your life's work'."

Cautioning that his understanding is second hand as he is no longer associated with the company, he claimed there are benefits changes including maternity leave being reduced from 16 weeks to three weeks and a reduction in vacation/PTO.

He also alleged what he called a move to sideline "employee resource groups that support under represented people at the company" and not treating "the office as a hub for community anymore".

McChord also claimed that Kaseya is "looking for long term changes to budgets with decreases in excess of 30 per cent".

He said: "The method in which these changes have been introduced has done more damage than necessary. Communication has been heavy handed and those who have questioned it or expressed dismay have been simply overrun at best or summarily terminated at worst.

"These departures have induced a ton of unnecessary fear into the workplace. Employees are afraid to voice their opinions and give feedback. All of this is causing many incredible people who work at Datto to look for the exits.

"This sucks. It feels like you just bought a leading football team and are in the process of breaking all the players legs. This is not a winning strategy. It will hurt the entire MSP industry."

He went onto write that the management team at Kaseya need to "take a beat, stop and listen".

He said: "Datto is not the last company you acquired, it's different. Its differentness is what makes it successful, not what holds it back. You have an incredible opportunity to be the engine that takes the entire MSP industry to a whole new level.

"You have purchased a unique asset that can bring you (yes you Kaseya!), like all its prior owners, incredible financial return. The way to get those returns and continue the upward trajectory for everyone in the MSP space is to listen and support Datto's differences, rather than destroy them."

Kaseya has been approached for comment.