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The choice as defined above makes it seem obvious, but in the show there are some extenuating factors. The $10M belongs to Google in the show (they use differe

The choice as defined above makes it seem obvious, but in the show there are some extenuating factors. The $10M belongs to Google in the show (they use different names for companies/people, but the parallels are obvious.) You may also be "bound" to Google for some indeterminate amount of time, as an employee. The $200K seed money for 5% of the company is an opportunity to work directly with Peter Thiel (again, names changed in the show.) Google is going to bury your product, and/or claim it as their own. Peter Thiel knows everyone in the Valley, and is also agreeing to invest--and other investors will likely follow suit. Given the choice as presented in this light, it becomes a harder decision than the poll results above would suggest.

sillysaurus3 12y ago
The $10M belongs to Google in the show (they use different names for companies/people, but the parallels are obvious.) You may also be "bound" to Google for some indeterminate amount of time, as an employee. What does it mean that the $10M belongs to Google? What's the point of the poll if you don't actually receive the $10M? Getting $10M in exchange for being a Google employee for four years is such a good deal that it's hard to imagine how turning it down wouldn't be a mistake. You're not rich until you exit, and achieving an exit is much harder than getting a high valuation. Remember, pg sold Viaweb for roughly $10M (his share), and it took him about four years to do it.
joe_the_user 12y ago
It is worth mentioning that it can seem a much harder choice. But I would claim the correct choice remains the same for reasons others have mentioned - after a certain point, at $10 million, it's how good a business person you are, not how good an idea you have. Going to Google would certainly teach you something too. How many aquirehires from Google go on to found more companies - quite a few (I vaguely recall people founding companies after only a year - don't the exact conditions of course but I don't think aquirehires are onerous affairs, Google wants people who want them I'd imagine). If you're good, the sky's the limit but investing only in one's upside is foolish in a situation like this.
baddox 12y ago
> You may also be "bound" to Google for some indeterminate amount of time, as an employee. I didn't get that impression from the show. In fact, I imagined myself in the exact situation depicted in the show, and still easily voted for the ten million.

sillysaurus3 12y ago

The $10M belongs to Google in the show (they use different names for companies/people, but the parallels are obvious.) You may also be "bound" to Google for some indeterminate amount of time, as an employee. What does it mean that the $10M belongs to Google? What's the point of the poll if you don't actually receive the $10M? Getting $10M in exchange for being a Google employee for four years is such a good deal that it's hard to imagine how turning it down wouldn't be a mistake. You're not rich until you exit, and achieving an exit is much harder than getting a high valuation. Remember, pg sold Viaweb for roughly $10M (his share), and it took him about four years to do it.

joe_the_user 12y ago

It is worth mentioning that it can seem a much harder choice. But I would claim the correct choice remains the same for reasons others have mentioned - after a certain point, at $10 million, it's how good a business person you are, not how good an idea you have. Going to Google would certainly teach you something too. How many aquirehires from Google go on to found more companies - quite a few (I vaguely recall people founding companies after only a year - don't the exact conditions of course but I don't think aquirehires are onerous affairs, Google wants people who want them I'd imagine). If you're good, the sky's the limit but investing only in one's upside is foolish in a situation like this.

baddox 12y ago

> You may also be "bound" to Google for some indeterminate amount of time, as an employee. I didn't get that impression from the show. In fact, I imagined myself in the exact situation depicted in the show, and still easily voted for the ten million.