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After $18B IPO, Bending Spoons founder says success comes from minimizing luck
- ChrisArchitect 4mo agoRelated prior: Italy's Bending Spoons, owner of AOL and Vimeo, files for Nasdaq IPO https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48446310 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48446310
- ChrisArchitect 4mo agoA weird Italian loveletter post about it: Bending Spoons just went public: Italy won the World Cup https://www.theliquidfactory.com/news-detail/bending-spoons-just-went-public:-we-won-the-world-cup https://www.theliquidfactory.com/news-detail/bending-spoons-... (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48773549 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48773549)
- ChrisArchitect 4mo agoSo they convinced greedy likely AI-pilled investors. Hearing their name still gives the ick, and anything they're involved in. Why does the sentiment around here not translate? Some history from only the past year in discussions: Bending Spoons acquires Vimeo for $1.38B https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45197302 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45197302 AOL to be sold to Bending Spoons for $1.5B https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45749161 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45749161 Bending Spoons Acquires Eventbrite https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46124673 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46124673 Tell HN: Bending Spoons laid off almost everybody at Vimeo yesterday https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46707699 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46707699
- wildzzz 4mo agoSo they buy up aging dinosaurs well beyond their life expectancy and do what exactly? Wring it for every dollar they can? Is there any real innovation going on at Bending Spoons and its subsideries? They sound like slumlords: buy a house that's solid but needs some TLC, renovate using the cheapest, builder grade materials they can find, and then rent it out for way more than what it's worth.
- quanto 4mo ago> The numbers seem to agree. According to its SEC filing, “in part helped by progress in AI, revenue per full-time equivalent Spooner increased from $1.12 million in 2023 to $2.57 million in 2025, and was $0.97 million in Q1 2026.” Is there a typo somewhere?
- dastbe 4mo agothe last number is for the quarter whereas the rest are annual. if they maintain revenue it will be 3.88m/spooner
- mmarian 4mo agoFull statement behind title is interesting. I actually agree with the founders - it's easier to make good money acquiring a proven business and improving its financials, than it is starting something and trying to prove to customers it'll work. You need have the capital from the get go though.
- quaddoggy 4mo agoThat said, everything this company touches turns to crap.