4 ms·
Ask HN: Can I ask for an acqui-hire?
Hi HN,
tl;dr: I have my own angel-backed startup that failed. I interviewed around and have several offers to join other teams. Would it be unreasonable for me to ask that the condition for me to join has to be through an acqui-hire? I don't need any additional money/compensation. I just want to save face for both myself and my angel-investors. Any additional tips about how I can achieve this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
More context:
1)Raised under 30k in angel funding.
2)Built a product, but don't have customers or revenue.
3)Been grinding for a year with little to show for. Family needs me to provide. The anxiety and stress have just gotten too much.
4)Maybe some people will think this ask is too outlandish/unreasonable. I have no idea. I just want to know my options and set my next career move up for success.
5)In the ML field, and I have pretty decent experience.
6)I have looked through the HN acqui-hire posts but haven't found an answer to the specific question I have.
- yujian 3y agohow big is your full time team?
- throwaway_2987 3y agoLiterally just me.
- tlb 3y agoYour angel investors will know how much you got acquired for (ie, near zero) so I don't see how it saves anyone's face. I'm a frequent angel investor, and getting a small amount of money back really isn't interesting. Obviously I'm excited to get a large multiple back, and I'm OK with most going to zero. Getting a small amount of money back is mostly an annoyance, since it invariably comes with a lot of paperwork spread over months.
- throwaway_2987 3y agoGot it, thanks for sharing your perspective. >I don't see how it saves anyone's face. Wouldn't it be much more attractive for you as an angel investor to be able to say 'My companies have been acquired by xyz etc'? I have seen several Angels that lists investments as 'exited' even if it made them little money. Also in my future entrepreneurial ambitions, it would probably give me more credibility, no?
- tlb 3y agoNot among experienced angel investors. Maybe noobs are impressed. On the plus side: you'd learn a lot trying to arrange an acqui-hire, though it's an extremely stressful way to spend a few months (and it's never less than a few months.)
- icedchai 3y agoWhy not list your startup on one of those "sell your startup" sites and separate it from your personal employment? Maybe someone will throw you a few dollars.