5 ms·

Wow, $50M for Aardvark & shut down in a year. Sometimes I really don't get things like this.

igorgue 15y ago
I really liked Aardvark, and used it for a while I suspected Google was going to shut it down, thing is, they acquired a great team, that's why the $50M. I wonder if the founders stayed at Google.
orblivion 15y ago
I'll be part of the backlash if there's enough popular demand. I still think it's a great idea. There's nothing out there like having a Q/A service via IM. Maybe they can spin it off?
alnayyir 15y ago
Acquisitions are about talent and not products more often than not with Google.
- tptacek 15y ago
  Did Aardvark have 50 key devs? Isn't that roughly the valuation in premium talent deals?
  - alnayyir 15y ago
    I don't know, I don't even like how the startup industry currently works. It mostly looks like a wealth transfer from the wealthy to the children of yuppies to me. I don't see much business value actually being created.
- arkitaip 15y ago
  I can't speak for the aardvark team but I would feel devastated having in so many years of hard work only to see my baby being terminated, not because it's a bad product but simply because it doesn't fit the broader vision of the company that acquired you. Not sure I could stay at a place like that.
  - dhimes 15y ago
    Agreed. Why the hell buy it in the first place? Maybe they wanted some of the IP to use somewhere else or something? It doesn't smell good to me. Are we still saying 'Do no evil?'
    - ma2rten 15y ago
      Dude ... read the other comments. It was a talent acquisition / google changed it's strategy since. If the founders did not want to have it shutdown they should have negotiated a clause in the contract.
      - dhimes 15y ago
        But don't you find it odd? It's too much to pay for just a talent acquisition. IP + talent, perhaps, if it's really important IP.
prostoalex 15y ago
Acquisitions typically include certain vesting periods (25-25-25-25 or 10-20-30-40) and certain goals for bonuses to kick in. Press concentrates on grand total of everything vesting over N years + all targets being met. The grand total amount of dollars that left Google's bank account is likely to be less than $50,000,000.
- 0x12 15y ago
  A shutdown like this could very well trigger accelerated vesting clauses.
cpeterso 15y ago
Why throw good money after bad? If Aardvark is not part of Google's (evolving) vision, why continue it? If I make a wrong turn on the highway, I would turn around, even if I've drive in that (wrong) direction for an hour. :)
Luyt 15y ago
Google had to acquire Aardvark, otherwise Facebook would have bought them, and with the imminent launch of Google+, Google had to prevent this at all cost.
zach 15y ago
Looks like a good candidate for a re-startup like I was mentioning in the knockoff thread: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2954987 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2954987 Spend a week working on a prototype and go tell the press you're going to pick up what Aardvark dropped. I presume the founders are busy earning out working on Google+ so they might even applaud it.

I really liked Aardvark, and used it for a while I suspected Google was going to shut it down, thing is, they acquired a great team, that's why the $50M. I wonder if the founders stayed at Google.

orblivion 15y ago

I'll be part of the backlash if there's enough popular demand. I still think it's a great idea. There's nothing out there like having a Q/A service via IM. Maybe they can spin it off?

alnayyir 15y ago

Acquisitions are about talent and not products more often than not with Google.

tptacek 15y ago
Did Aardvark have 50 key devs? Isn't that roughly the valuation in premium talent deals?
- alnayyir 15y ago
  I don't know, I don't even like how the startup industry currently works. It mostly looks like a wealth transfer from the wealthy to the children of yuppies to me. I don't see much business value actually being created.
arkitaip 15y ago
I can't speak for the aardvark team but I would feel devastated having in so many years of hard work only to see my baby being terminated, not because it's a bad product but simply because it doesn't fit the broader vision of the company that acquired you. Not sure I could stay at a place like that.
- dhimes 15y ago
  Agreed. Why the hell buy it in the first place? Maybe they wanted some of the IP to use somewhere else or something? It doesn't smell good to me. Are we still saying 'Do no evil?'
  - ma2rten 15y ago
    Dude ... read the other comments. It was a talent acquisition / google changed it's strategy since. If the founders did not want to have it shutdown they should have negotiated a clause in the contract.
    - dhimes 15y ago
      But don't you find it odd? It's too much to pay for just a talent acquisition. IP + talent, perhaps, if it's really important IP.

prostoalex 15y ago

Acquisitions typically include certain vesting periods (25-25-25-25 or 10-20-30-40) and certain goals for bonuses to kick in. Press concentrates on grand total of everything vesting over N years + all targets being met. The grand total amount of dollars that left Google's bank account is likely to be less than $50,000,000.

0x12 15y ago
A shutdown like this could very well trigger accelerated vesting clauses.

cpeterso 15y ago

Why throw good money after bad? If Aardvark is not part of Google's (evolving) vision, why continue it? If I make a wrong turn on the highway, I would turn around, even if I've drive in that (wrong) direction for an hour. :)

Luyt 15y ago

Google had to acquire Aardvark, otherwise Facebook would have bought them, and with the imminent launch of Google+, Google had to prevent this at all cost.

zach 15y ago

Looks like a good candidate for a re-startup like I was mentioning in the knockoff thread: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2954987 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2954987 Spend a week working on a prototype and go tell the press you're going to pick up what Aardvark dropped. I presume the founders are busy earning out working on Google+ so they might even applaud it.