FYIFV

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FYIFV (standing for "Fuck You, I'm Fully Vested") is a piece of Microsoft jargon that has become an urban legend: that employees whose stock options were fully vested (that is, could be used) would occasionally wear T-shirts or buttons with the initials "FYIFV" to indicate they were financially independent and thus could give their honest opinions and leave any time they wished.

In internal usage at Microsoft, it was meant metaphorically to describe intransigent co-workers. In press usage and popular culture, it is often used to imply a predatory business culture reaching even to the programmers.

Despite many third-hand reports of Microsoft employees wearing "FYIFV" buttons or shirts, there is only one report of an actual "FYIFV" T-shirt, worn on the wearer's last day at the company.[1]

[edit] Origins of the phrase

Some Microsoft employees are granted stock options at the start of their employment. The options vest gradually over four and a half years. An option allows the holder to buy the stock at the price when the option was granted; as Microsoft's stock price continuously rose over two decades, the employee could buy the stock cheap and sell it at a considerable profit, thus reducing or removing their dependence on their Microsoft salary. Many stayed at Microsoft nevertheless because they enjoyed their work.

Adam Barr, author of the book Proudly Serving My Corporate Masters, tracked down a possible origin for the urban legend:

... he made a comment to the effect that some person was wearing their FYIFV T-Shirt that day, meaning that that person was being intransigent about something or other. The intended audience apparently understood that this was an entirely metaphorical reference, but someone else, not involved in the conversation, apparently overheard the crack and related it to Bill [Gates], misreporting the story by saying that [Person X] had actually made such a T-Shirt ...
I only ever saw one actual FYIFV shirt. The person made it themself and wore it only on their final day at MS. This was maybe '92 or so, years after the original incident.[1]

Barr notes also that further options are granted each year, thus an employee can never be "fully vested."

[edit] "FYIFV" in popular culture

The first third-party note of the term appears to be by Paul Andrews in the Seattle Times in 1989:[2]

“ Stock options during the company's early growth produced numerous wealthy sub-30-year-olds, and for a while buttons showed up on lapels bearing the inscription FYIFV, standing for "F--- You, I'm Fully Vested." ”

The context was that the article spoke of Microsoft as a place where hard work and long hours were expected and rewarded. Andrews used the term again when coauthoring the book Gates with Stephen Manes in 1993.[3]

The quote became more common as Microsoft's fortunes rose, used with the implication that alleged predatory business attitudes reached even to the programmers:[4]

“ Accusations that Microsoft's people lie, cheat and steal information are as much a part of the company's lore as its cadre of millionaires with FYIFV ('.... I'm fully vested') buttons. ”

The phrase was also used with the implication that Microsoft employees were motivated only by money, rather than software quality, e.g. in a 2000 Wired article on United States v. Microsoft:[5]

“ For years, Softies were wont to sport buttons that read FYIFV: Fuck You, I'm Fully Vested. ”

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Barr, Adam (2001-07-16). FYIFV: A Microsoft Urban Legend. Kuro5hin. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  2. ^ Andrews, Paul. "Inside Microsoft - A 'Velvet Sweatshop' or a High-Tech Heaven?", Seattle Times, 1989-04-23. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. 
  3. ^ Manes, Stephen; Paul Andrews. Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry - and Made Himself the Richest Man in America. Touchstone. ISBN 0671880748. “A popular button appeared with the initials FYIFV: Fuck You, I'm Fully Vested.” 
  4. ^ Gleick, James. "Making Microsoft Safe for Capitalism", New York Times Magazine, 1995-11-05. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. 
  5. ^ Heileman, John. "The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth", Wired, November 2000. Retrieved on 2007-09-30. 
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