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The Problem With Marc Andreessen

blogs.reuters.com

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Re: The Problem With Marc Andreessen

#2

Post by lbo »

Netscape's core was reborn as Firefox. Netscape invented the image tag, along with much of what we consider essential to what the internet is today. Most here would probably attest that it was also the superior product in its day, only losing out to IE thanks to questionably legal monopoly muscling from MS.

Opsware was purchased for $1.6bn by HP, hardly a failure...

Andreesen has a strong history of execution and value generation and Netscape was a pioneer, not a cheap shareholder exploitation vehicle. This article is grasping at straws.

Edit: Clearly HP the thought Opsware was extremely valuable at the time of purchase and the author provides no evidence to support his claim that it was not a good purchase for HP. According to comments on the article, Opsware's product still exists and has simply been rebranded.

Re: The Problem With Marc Andreessen

#4

Post by chrismealy »

lbo wrote: post #2

Netscape's core was reborn as Firefox. Netscape invented the image tag, along with much of what we consider essential to what the internet is today. Most here would probably attest that it was also the superior product in its day, only losing out to IE thanks to questionably legal monopoly muscling from MS. Opsware was purchased for $1.6bn by HP, hardly a failure... Andreesen has a strong history of execution and val…

Netscape != Andreesen

Re: The Problem With Marc Andreessen

#5

Post by raganwald »

lbo wrote: post #2

Netscape's core was reborn as Firefox. Netscape invented the image tag, along with much of what we consider essential to what the internet is today. Most here would probably attest that it was also the superior product in its day, only losing out to IE thanks to questionably legal monopoly muscling from MS. Opsware was purchased for $1.6bn by HP, hardly a failure... Andreesen has a strong history of execution and val…

Opsware was purchased for $1.6bn by HP, hardly a failure...

The thesis of the article is that Marc has been very successful at selling things, but that these things have not been so successful for the people who bought them from him. I don't think you are at odds with the author if you're saying that Marc has been successful at making money.

Re: The Problem With Marc Andreessen

#6

Post by rollypolly » 

  they’re primarily interested in buying into any company,
  no matter how flash-in-the-pan, where Andreessen Horowitz
  can exit its investment for a large multiple of whatever
  it bought in at.
It's worth mentioning that this behavior isn't unique to Andreessen Horowitz.

This also makes me wonder if this type of attitude might be hurting the long term prospects of our economy.

Re: The Problem With Marc Andreessen

#7

Post by siavosh »

lbo wrote: post #2

Netscape's core was reborn as Firefox. Netscape invented the image tag, along with much of what we consider essential to what the internet is today. Most here would probably attest that it was also the superior product in its day, only losing out to IE thanks to questionably legal monopoly muscling from MS. Opsware was purchased for $1.6bn by HP, hardly a failure... Andreesen has a strong history of execution and val…

Regarding Opsware, I think the author of the article is pointing out that a company's acquisition price does not necessarily equal its true value. In other words, the seller of a tulip at the peak of a market bubble hasn't created as much value as you'd think.

Re: The Problem With Marc Andreessen

#9

Post by siavosh »

I'm seeing something very similar happening in SV as happened in Wallstreet prior to when the big mess began in 2008: the media generated cult of personality for people who make money, not successful lasting companies.

Re: The Problem With Marc Andreessen

#10

Post by waterlesscloud »

The article presents an interesting point of view that I think is probably goes too far. It's not Marc's fault if the giant lumbering behemoths that buy companies don't know what to do with them. That's almost intrinsic in their natures, actually, that they'll screw it up. Even the best tech companies do it time and again, and with very good properties.

But this line in particular stands out- "...buy its stake in the shadowy secondary market instead."

Come on. Shadowy? Really? Making it sound like he's buying plutonium or something.

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