The latest episode of OnPodSessions, When to sell out, is now available for download. This week Om and I talk about large companies acquiring startups, what they are looking for, and how various startups position themselves. The selling out podcast is 23 minutes long and a 10.6 MB download.
Last week I read a blog post and PowerPoint presentation by Joel Toledano of Yahoo! Search’s business development team. The presentation and blog post was a follow-up to an entrepreneurial event organized by CalTech and MIT. I felt like the presentation suggested small companies need approach Yahoo! about being acquired and created a very one-sided relationship to entrepreneurs and their companies/projects. I think any relationship between companies should appreciate the talent and passions of both sides and trivialize either side’s dedication to their work and building a great product. Large companies may have a lot of users and hold a lot of sway in the marketplace, but I am a big believer in building independent businesses that can survive on their own and work with the right company as a partner or acquisition if visions and environment are a good match.
A few things we did not touch on in the podcast are IPOs and creating a company (or blog) explicitly to get the attention of a company you would like to work with. Given the reporting and compliance requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 going public involves a lot of work, investment, and tightening corporate policies such as who has access to what information. These laws lead to less IPOs in the United States. Creating a smart product or blog to attract the attention of a potential employer can make sense, especially if it is something quick you can crank out in a few weekends. There are so many r#233;sum#233;s entered into corporate job databases every day anything you can do to differentiate certainly helps the right candidate get noticed.
This week’s podcast was the first time we used fancy microphones and a mixer. I’m still getting used to the new gear but the audio does sound a lot better.
Reminder: These are my own views and are not necessarily the views of my current employer, family, or friends. You are reading and listening to the opinions of an individual.
Tags: entrepreneur, startups, selling