An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
jmtame.posthaven.com
An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
1–10 of 19 posts
Re: An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
#2And sometimes, despite a complete lack of interest in being acquired, people spend time having such discussions simply because they don't understand what the conversation is about.
I was contacted by someone I highly respected a couple of years ago, who spent half an hour half an hour telling me that he thought I was doing great things with Tarsnap, and everybody at his office thought I was amazing and wished they could work more closely with me... and it was only after hanging up the phone that I realized that he was probably trying to find out if I was interested in selling the company.
Re: An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
#3I remember reading a blog post about balancing the relationship between investors and founders. Much like this article, it reminds me of the testing requirements in the US education system. The government wants this data to monitor the progress and state of students. The problem with this need and lack of trust, is that it forces teachers and schools to focus less on learning and teaching, and focus on testing and teaching how to test. The part about CH's acquisition speaks the most to this forced shift away from what worked at the start up, to what the acquirer needs. I think this is inpart due to a lack of trust and ego.
Re: An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
#4jaquesm also wrote an amazing and comprehensive article on this topic: How to Sell Your Company[1]
Re: An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
#5Beware too that some advances, while looking like possible acquisition discussions, are nothing more than intelligence gathering. Another reason to heed PG's advice to keep looking ahead while ignoring the hand wavers.
Re: An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
#6PG told you to keep walking straight ahead and pay no attention, not turn and flip them the bird
Re: An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
#7PG told you to keep walking straight ahead and pay no attention, not turn and flip them the bird
What part of my response did you think was the equivalent of flipping them off? I wasn't trying to be malicious to anyone personally. I have my own beliefs on IAC and they're negative, but I don't think I said anything nasty to Brian.
I felt the need to correct the stats since they were part of a point I was making. The data I cited doesn't look at a certain group of web sites specifically, which skews the data.
Re: An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
#8And sometimes, despite a complete lack of interest in being acquired, people spend time having such discussions simply because they don't understand what the conversation is about. I was contacted by someone I highly respected a couple of years ago, who spent half an hour half an hour telling me that he thought I was doing great things with Tarsnap, and everybody at his office thought I was amazing and wished they co…
I used to have that curiosity to want to know why competitors were reaching out. I've seen the pattern enough times that I just know, so I have no interest anymore.
You seem to support my point with your story. You said you thought they were interested in buying you at the end of it. Are there other reasons you've encountered, where competitors wanted to talk and there was another purpose behind it?
Re: An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
#9Beware too that some advances, while looking like possible acquisition discussions, are nothing more than intelligence gathering. Another reason to heed PG's advice to keep looking ahead while ignoring the hand wavers.
> keep looking ahead while ignoring the hand wavers
Could you expand on this a bit? It's the first time I read that phrase - it could be because English isn't my first language. What do you mean with 'hand wavers', people complimenting you on your work without making concrete offers / becoming customers?
Re: An acquisition rarely starts out looking like one
#10Beware too that some advances, while looking like possible acquisition discussions, are nothing more than intelligence gathering. Another reason to heed PG's advice to keep looking ahead while ignoring the hand wavers.
> keep looking ahead while ignoring the hand wavers Could you expand on this a bit? It's the first time I read that phrase - it could be because English isn't my first language. What do you mean with 'hand wavers', people complimenting you on your work without making concrete offers / becoming customers?
Just people trying to attract your attention (by waving their arms above their head, figuratively)