Jetbrains founders turn billionaires without VC help

I don’t get it though, why not just go public now and get tons of money? The IPO may never fetch as high of a price as it would now, even if the company gets more valuable in the future.

Re: Jetbrains founders turn billionaires without VC help

#5

Post by emteycz » Fri, Dec 18, 2020, 12:20 PM UTC

xwdv wrote: post #4

I don’t get it though, why not just go public now and get tons of money? The IPO may never fetch as high of a price as it would now, even if the company gets more valuable in the future.

It's not easy for a Czech company to do IPO in the USA. It's not worth it here.

Re: Jetbrains founders turn billionaires without VC help

#6

Post by BossingAround » Fri, Dec 18, 2020, 12:21 PM UTC

Isn't JetBrains a Russian company that moved their HQ to Prague due to fear of Russian government?

Re: Jetbrains founders turn billionaires without VC help

#7

Post by andylynch » Fri, Dec 18, 2020, 12:22 PM UTC

Happy to see this, it’s well earned. I’ve used their products since IDEA v3 back in 2003 and it’s consistently been excellent. Hard to believe IDEA is 20 years old next month!

Re: Jetbrains founders turn billionaires without VC help

#8

Post by uberswe » Fri, Dec 18, 2020, 12:23 PM UTC

xwdv wrote: post #4

I don’t get it though, why not just go public now and get tons of money? The IPO may never fetch as high of a price as it would now, even if the company gets more valuable in the future.

Sometimes it's not all about money. Having shareholders can make the company head in a direction different to the direction that the current founders want it to go.

Re: Jetbrains founders turn billionaires without VC help

#9

Post by andylynch » Fri, Dec 18, 2020, 12:27 PM UTC

xwdv wrote: post #4

I don’t get it though, why not just go public now and get tons of money? The IPO may never fetch as high of a price as it would now, even if the company gets more valuable in the future.

I don’t see why they need to. They are incredibly successful already plus pretty sure enjoying what they do. An IPO would probably put much of that at risk so why bother? I’ve always understood them to be driven more by the desire to help make software development more pleasant.

Re: Jetbrains founders turn billionaires without VC help

#10

Post by pdpi » Fri, Dec 18, 2020, 12:27 PM UTC

xwdv wrote: post #4

I don’t get it though, why not just go public now and get tons of money? The IPO may never fetch as high of a price as it would now, even if the company gets more valuable in the future.

Because an IPO would have the founders lose a lot of control over the company, and they're more motivated by that than by money.