When Karma Is a Stock Chart: How One Engineer Proved the Market Wrong (and an Ex Even More Wrong)
When you get called an “idiot” for taking a job, you might start to doubt yourself. But what if, a year later, the market itself takes your side—and sends a not-so-subtle message to your naysayers? That’s exactly the satisfying turn of events in one r/PettyRevenge tale, where a software engineer’s leap of faith (and a mountain of hard work) flipped the script—leaving a doubting ex-colleague to stew in some poetic, portfolio-based justice.
This isn’t just a story about office drama. It’s about fixing messes, quiet confidence, and letting the universe (and stock tickers) do the talking.
The Setup: “You’re an Idiot For Taking This Job”
Meet our protagonist (let’s call them OP, after their Reddit handle u/mpanase), a software engineer who joined Company A as a team lead. Sounds like a big opportunity, right? But there was a catch: they were replacing a guy fleeing to Company B, loudly declaring Company A “was shit and about to burn up in flames.”
Not only was this guy dramatic, but he also made it his daily mission to remind OP how Company A’s stock had plummeted, while Company B’s soared. “You’ll regret it,” he predicted, with all the subtlety of a Twitter troll on a caffeine bender.
OP could have wilted under the negativity. Instead, they rolled up their sleeves and started fixing what needed fixing.
Turning the Ship: Calm, Competence, and Cleaning Up the Mess
While the former lead was busy polishing his LinkedIn profile, OP was putting in real work: calming frazzled teammates, patching up half-baked “solutions,” and rescuing client relationships teetering on the brink. As u/mpanase summed it up, they were “putting out fires,” giving the C-suite some much-needed reality checks, and steering Company A toward actual stability.
The difference was dramatic. Clients stopped running for the exits and started renewing contracts. Internal chaos gave way to—gasp—actual planning. The mood? Much improved.
Commenters quickly picked up on the real source of Company A’s past woes. As u/Aniso3d quipped, “Sounds as if he’s been the problem at both companies.” Another, u/amuschka, didn’t mince words: “He clearly tanked company A and is doing a good job of tanking company B now too.” And u/necronboy captured the vibe perfectly: “If you can smell dog crap everywhere you go, check your own shoes.”
But here’s where it gets fun. While OP was busy making things better, the stock market started noticing.
The Market’s Verdict: 26% Up, 26% Down
One year later, OP checked the stock prices—just for fun. The results? Company A’s stock, previously in freefall, was up a resounding 26% since OP joined. Company B, the supposed “powerhouse,” had slumped… 26% down since the ex-lead’s arrival.
It’s the sort of symmetry that would make a statistics professor giggle. Cue the Reddit applause and calls for infographics: “Use an icon of the guy’s face overlapping with the decreasing share price,” suggested u/Current-Anybody9331, while u/Creepy_Addendum_3677 wanted “a timeline graph.” The schadenfreude was palpable.
Of course, OP was quick to set the record straight—one engineer isn’t single-handedly responsible for company stock swings. But, as they noted, “The guy still felt like insulting others’ choices under a criteria that’s proving him way wrong, though :)” Sometimes, poetic justice is about the principle, not the math.
Sweet, Silent Revenge (Or Should You Send a Gift Basket?)
So, what does one do with this delicious reversal of fortune? Redditors had plenty of suggestions. Some advocated for the classic “living well is the best revenge” (u/SentimentalScientist), while others wanted OP to send a simple, silent photo of the stock charts to the ex-lead (thanks, u/Psycho_Si). “The silence + numbers combo is doing all the talking for you,” u/Slight-Book2296 wisely observed.
Others went full-on petty: “Send him flowers congratulating him on one year with the new company, and a note comparing stock prices,” joked u/MikeSchwab63. Or, as u/Lower_Group_1171 suggested, “I should have bought puts when you went to company b!”
But perhaps the most insightful take came from u/ImAlsoNotOlivia: “He will not see himself as the common denominator.” Sometimes, the best revenge is knowing the truth—and letting the numbers speak for themselves.
Even OP seems content to let his record stand: “Still trying to figure out how to do the petty thing ‘with class’ :)” But as u/GuairdeanBeatha shared in a similar tale, sometimes saying nothing is the classiest (and most devastating) move of all.
Lessons from the Market—and the Comment Section
What can we learn from this saga of petty (and not-so-petty) revenge?
- Don’t judge your worth by someone else’s panic or pessimism. Sometimes, the messiest jobs are just waiting for the right fixer.
- The loudest critics often have the most to hide—especially if they leave chaos in their wake.
- And, as the Reddit hive mind agreed, “If someone talks shit about everyone to you, they are talking shit about you to everyone.” (Thanks, u/overkill.)
But most importantly: Sometimes, the universe (and the NYSE) has a way of serving up the best revenge—no gloating required.
Do you have a story where karma (or the market) did your talking for you? Would you have sent the infamous stock chart, or let the silence do the work? Share your thoughts, your own tales of workplace redemption, or your best petty-but-classy comeback in the comments below!
Original Reddit Post: Took over a role after being told I was an idiot for it... turns out the market disagreed