4 ms·
> Unless you’re one of the lucky few who start and take a company public in an IPO Not like I have much to draw on, but to me it seems that a huge acquisition
by dvt 9y ago
> Unless you’re one of the lucky few who start and take a company public in an IPO
Not like I have much to draw on, but to me it seems that a huge acquisition is probably more bang for your buck than going public (which is by definition a gamble).
I don't think I'd ever want to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Being at the whims of finicky investors on top of shady market forces 24/7 just seems awful when compared to getting acquired for a pretty penny (WhatsApp or Tumblr come to mind).
- rm_-rf_slash 9y agoOn the other hand, you can keep working at a publicly listed company and whenever you feel like leaving you can sell your shares on a liquid market at any time. Whereas if your private company is bought out by another private company and a significant chunk of the compensation is in stock, the market is far less liquid.
- matt_wulfeck 9y agoI would say for the median engineer, a buyout is better because valuable employees will be put on a retainer, which is where the real money is for the little guys.
- dvt 9y agoTrue, but I meant as a founder.