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Yes, for several reasons. I'll assume this is my first startup, and I started out at the bottum rung in the tech world, with no prior connections. 1. Most star
by dylangs1030 13y ago
Yes, for several reasons. I'll assume this is my first startup, and I started out at the bottum rung in the tech world, with no prior connections.
1. Most startups (by an incredible supermajority) fail. An acquisition can save you from that, especially if you're one of those startups that generates no revenue but is extremely popular.
2. Not only do most fail, they don't generally fail spectacularly. They die, slowly and steadily, in a death march that saps the founders of their confidence and has been documented several times to lead to severe depression[1].
3. I need to pay the bills. I want to be financially independent and capable of supporting the family and lifestyle I'd like currently and down the line.
4. If I want to be a visionary who changes the world and Disrupts The Man, I'll take Elon Musk's advice[2] and cash out this smaller company so I can go on to do bigger and better things. I'll be more equipped with personal assets, better connections and superior coding skills and business savvy the next time around from the get go. This way, I can tackle a bigger market.
5. With all the foregoing in mind, when I go for the big market with a second or third startup, I may have the fuck you money to resist acquisitions and see my dream through to completion.
Here's a story: Elon Musk spent $100 million of his personal fortune making sure SpaceX didn't die. He didn't have that money because SpaceX is his first venture. Nor was Tesla, nor even PayPal. Elon Musk's first project, Zip2, was acquired in 1999 for $300 million[3]. No one remembers it, but it was Elon Musk's first baby. He made himself financially independent and sold his first idea, then went on to do bigger and better things that would change the world without an acquisition.
[1]: http://www.businessinsider.com/jody-sherman-ecomom-2013-4 http://www.businessinsider.com/jody-sherman-ecomom-2013-4
[2]: http://venturebeat.com/2011/09/15/elon-musk-disrupt/ http://venturebeat.com/2011/09/15/elon-musk-disrupt/
[3]: http://news.cnet.com/Compaq-buys-Zip2/2100-1023_3-221675.html http://news.cnet.com/Compaq-buys-Zip2/2100-1023_3-221675.htm...
I answered your question seriously, although the phrasing of the question seems like a snarky, implicit criticism of Google and the way it handles acquisitions.
- failedthrowaway 13y ago2. Not only do most fail, they don't generally fail spectacularly. They die, slowly and steadily, in a death march that saps the founders of their confidence and has been documented several times to lead to severe depression[1]. My company failed, a long slow death, after 8 years. I was barely able to pay myself during the latter few years, but I had employees and cofounders that I felt obligated towards... and then company debt I needed to work off. While we have shut it down now and I have a full time job, I feel dead inside, and I am having a rough go at being functional. I hide it from my family, and am finding it hard to be productive. I'll just stare at the screen instead of working. I don't know what to do to jump start myself again. I feel so empty and like I am fake. It has been two years. I haven't said this to anyone before now. But I believe you are right about the slow company death, and while I don't believe I am severely depressed, I do feel a bit like Frodo at the end of LoTR, but without a Grey Haven sanctuary to sail off towards. (Sorry for the rambling and the thread hijack)
- dylangs1030 13y agoThat's rough, I'm sorry. But thank you for sharing. If you ever want to talk to a techie about it, you can email me in confidence.
- failedthrowaway 13y agoThanks
- nagrom 13y ago>>> I feel so empty and like I am fake. It has been two years. I haven't said this to anyone before now. When I last felt like that, I did the same thing. I said nothing to anyone for about 18 months. Eventually, I did talk to someone over a few drinks one night - not someone particularly close to me, just a friend. They didn't say anything profound, they weren't hugely supportive, they didn't offer a new perspective or anything from their own experience. But that outpouring of my feelings was, I recognise now, the first step of the healing process for me - a little like lancing a boil. Kind of silly, but that's the human psyche for you. I can't guarantee that it'll work for you, but it worked for me. Think about trying it?
- failedthrowaway 13y agoThanks, I may try that.
- pressurefree 13y agolol Frodo... i came up with this idea for power but i quickly became overwhelmed so i only told a few people... its more fun watching Elon Musk talk out of his ass about renewable energy... https://sites.google.com/site/verticalwindfarm/ https://sites.google.com/site/verticalwindfarm/ shhh!