Soon we will see what SolarWinds thinks their valuation in the marketplace will be. That will require an updating of the S-1 statement. Cruising through the current registration you can definitely find some interesting things. Do you think your overpaid? Underpaid? Here is what the executives at SolarWinds are making, in case you want to measure it against your compensation. This comes from the 2007 Executive Compensation table:

• Michael Bennett, President & CEO, $1,888,741
• Kevin Thompson, COO and CFO, $728,772
• Kenny Van Zant, Chief Product Strategist, $628,155

Soon they will be receiving phone calls from companies in New York with names that sound like real securities brokers. These people will have Brooklyn accents and the script always starts “Are you aware of the fantastic opportunities in the emerging [oil | gold | stock ] market?” No thanks Bud Fox.

We subscribe to the pragmatic school of executive pay. If you’re increasing my shareholder value every year, you’re worth it. If you start decreasing my shareholder value, don’t expect a golden parachute on the way out because you’ve been well paid along the ride. Only boards of directors who lack any sort of huevos fall into that trap.