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Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

news.ycombinator.com

21–30 of 37 posts

Re: Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

#21
post #4

#1) Get a mergers and acquisitions attorney NOW. It will be expensive, but you don't want to not get something you don't have coming. There are many ways to structure these deals, and if you throw employment into the equation, you are looking at even more ways to come out ahead or get screwed. Talk to a speclialized attorney NOW. Why so urgent? You do not want to appear dumb to your potential purchaser. To appear pre…

I believe most of these potential deals fall through. If you spend a ton of money on an M&A attorney every time someone mentions acquisition, you're screwed.

Re: Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

#22
post #19
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what's with the tag spam? Do we need those?

I'm working on tag search. See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=227184 and http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=227932 Tags: [search] [tagging] [meta]

Tags: [irritating] [extra] [redundant]

Re: Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

#23
post #22
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm working on tag search. See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=227184 and http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=227932 Tags: [search] [tagging] [meta]

Tags: [irritating] [extra] [redundant]

Tags: [witty] [sarcastic] [funny]

Re: Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

#24
post #18
post #12

Your deal doesn't have to be exclusive. Indeed, it may be in your interest to supply content or functionality in a non-exclusive deal. (A good example of this would be Microsoft licensing MSDOS to IBM on a non-exclusive basis.) If you've got good content and functionality which is wanted by one website then there exists the possibility of others wanting it too. Getting the first sale is the hardest and one customer h…

what's with the tag spam? Do we need those?

He got tired of waiting for the semantic web ... So he's building it. From scratch. By himself.

Re: Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

#26
post #6

Your valuation is a multiple of your revenue. If you grossed $500,000 this year, expect $750,000 next year, and want a 2x forward valuation, you're worth --- do the math. If you're really small, and that number is really low, remember that the bottom side of the valuation is probably what an "awesome signing bonus" would be for a big company. As in, you wouldn't accept a buyout that equated to nothing more than a pla…

"Your valuation is a multiple of your revenue. If you grossed $500,000 this year, expect $750,000 next year, and want a 2x forward valuation, you're worth --- do the math."

When I sold a consulting business, this was a good starting point, but how many online startups are valued this way? I'm not saying that it's not ridiculous that some properties get sold for gazillions with no revenue (and no prospect of it), but if these guys tie to a multiple of revenue (which I imagine is pretty close to zero) they are probably priced to low.

Re: Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

#27
"They have asked for a valuation and if we would want to become full time employees."

As another poster said, it's a sales process. You should appear delighted at the prospect of working there. You can always say no later, but they should be wowed by your enthusiasm.

Regarding valuation, make them offer a #. A good way might be, "for a company at our stage, a formal valuation is pretty hit and miss. We kinda feel like the market should set our value. You guys certainly have more experience buying companies than we do selling them-- and we'd like you to make an offer." If they push you could always make noises about the best way being to see what a couple of other buyers might pay. ;-)

I'd avoid a lawyer for a bit-- they aren't going to help much with valuation.

The variables in the deal we did was:

1) stock options (part of employment agreement), vesting over 4 years 2) cash 3) cash signing bonus (just a way for them to put it in a different budget line) 4) relocation allowance 5) salary

Treat the employment stuff as separate. My buyer laid off 40% of the company in 6 months... I made the cut, but as easily couldn't have and would've lost my options and salary. Assume that'll happen to you (which means focus on cash, signing bonus, and relo variables).

Re: Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

#28
post #12

Your deal doesn't have to be exclusive. Indeed, it may be in your interest to supply content or functionality in a non-exclusive deal. (A good example of this would be Microsoft licensing MSDOS to IBM on a non-exclusive basis.) If you've got good content and functionality which is wanted by one website then there exists the possibility of others wanting it too. Getting the first sale is the hardest and one customer h…

I had you flagged, but then I thought that that would be inappropriate. Instead, I'll ask you this: What value does a comment have to me out of the context of the conversation I'm reading it in?

All you're doing is polluting your comment (and the site) with nonsense. You should really stop it.

Re: Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

#29
post #12

Your deal doesn't have to be exclusive. Indeed, it may be in your interest to supply content or functionality in a non-exclusive deal. (A good example of this would be Microsoft licensing MSDOS to IBM on a non-exclusive basis.) If you've got good content and functionality which is wanted by one website then there exists the possibility of others wanting it too. Getting the first sale is the hardest and one customer h…

I had you flagged, but then I thought that that would be inappropriate. Instead, I'll ask you this: What value does a comment have to me out of the context of the conversation I'm reading it in? All you're doing is polluting your comment (and the site) with nonsense. You should really stop it.

Your profile contains the string #--hackrtrackr:3dwKMm0SsrZSeNg08YUOnuJBfQ3igl#

All your doing is polluting this site (and the web) with nonsense. You should really stop it.

Re: Ask YC: Aquisition Advice

#30
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had you flagged, but then I thought that that would be inappropriate. Instead, I'll ask you this: What value does a comment have to me out of the context of the conversation I'm reading it in? All you're doing is polluting your comment (and the site) with nonsense. You should really stop it.

Your profile contains the string #--hackrtrackr:3dwKMm0SsrZSeNg08YUOnuJBfQ3igl# All your doing is polluting this site (and the web) with nonsense. You should really stop it.

A profile is useful. Spamming comments with tags is completely irrelevant and useless to anyone reading it. It's duplication of content.

Please stop it.

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