Things were looking up in early 2013 for the team behind webOS, a pioneering but star-crossed mobile operating system. After surviving the implosion of Palm and a rocky acquisition by HP, LG stepped in to buy the team. The consumer electronics giant seemed like a white knight with a plan: To make webOS  the core of LG’s next-generation smart TV platform, and use the brains behind webOS to create a much-needed engine of innovation at LG. To create a unit that was meant to help the company to beat competitors like Samsung with Silicon Valley smarts. A disruptive force.

Eighteen months later, the acquisition looks a lot like a failure. About a third of the webOS team has left [company]LG[/company] since the acquisition, including some recent high-profile departures. Others are close to making the jump, as early euphoria has been displaced by disillusionment and frustration. The LG Silicon Valley Lab