I've worked for Fortune 500 and even Fortune 50 companies that acquired tech companies with no due diligence (usually in a panic) and I've had to clean up the mess. And the acquired folks usually leave in exactly a year and one day, after vesting.
And, even in 2019, I've gotten calls to clean up messes from people that have hired a software developer (for a company whose business isn't software) who doesn't use source control. Amazing!
One of my first jobs as a teenager was not software related, but basically just accounting support. A mid-size retail chain had acquired another retailer and needed help going over the books. This was in the 90s and I was basically typing stuff in an Excel sheet and getting a sum. Last day on the job I gave them the bottom-line number of something (revenue?) and my manager looked at it and said it seemed way off. Whatever, I'm done for the summer. Few weeks later there's a story that the company they acquired had lied about their value by a large margin and it was enough to put them out of business forever. Close all their stores and liquidated. I know it was not my fault at all, but I like to think it was my Excel sheet that destroyed them.
Fortune 500/50 companies should be able to absorb the cost, no? If you have a lot of money, you can afford to make mistakes as long as the expected value (of many acquisitions) is positive in the long run.
I’m not sure what the point of this comment was, so apologies if I’ve assumed incorrectly.
Maybe that's their logic, but a little due diligence can go a long way.
For example, one of the founders of one of the companies lied about his Stanford MBA Degree in his CV. He didn't have one. The company did not fire him. I lost a great deal of respect for the company after this.
And, even in 2019, I've gotten calls to clean up messes from people that have hired a software developer (for a company whose business isn't software) who doesn't use source control. Amazing!