Acquired plenty of reactions to my final put up about acquihires (particularly, lack of them) and the way which may change the strategy startups take to pursuing ‘comfortable landings.’ Wished to make clear and reply to a few of these questions, backchannels, and so on.
- It’s typically okay to only shutdown. I wasn’t suggesting that each founder/group/traders would like an acquihire to different types of wind down, and undoubtedly not that founders all the time “owe” their traders this try. If something I used to be attempting to emphasise to founders that it’s okay to strive a distinct course of, typically in opposition to the widespread knowledge.
- To founders (some in our portfolio) who assumed I used to be particularly subtweeting them. Nope. After all the suggestion was spurred on by what I’m observing available in the market – together with plenty of tales from founders we haven’t backed – however I used to be commenting available on the market at massive.
- I don’t need to fund an acquihire market. If you wish to construct a market for small acquihire transactions go proper forward however my put up wasn’t a Request for Startup 🙂
- Some individuals disagreed with me! “Nah, you quit all leverage while you do what you really helpful,” was the suggestions from a couple of readers. My POV is that it’s extra nuanced than this. You haven’t any leverage – or at finest faux leverage aka bluffing – while you don’t have alternate options. Go have some personal conversations, float some trial balloons, and so on. However I actually consider the technique I detailed is UNDERUSED in our business.
- Makes the Founder Appear Like a Loser? No manner. I feel it’s suave and considerate when completed accurately. All of that is altering IMO – analogous is perhaps layoff lists as of late – no disgrace in being included in a single when you probably did the perfect you may however the firm needed to make cuts. Clearly extra falls on the CEO/founder shoulders however once more, I feel my technique goes to be self-selecting for the kind of leaders who authentically can articulate the state of affairs and has some worth to transact.
Respect the dialogue – it’s why I get pleasure from running a blog 🙂
