Selling Startups Debate

The cluster centers on debates about whether startup founders should sell their companies, particularly if profitable or highly valued, questioning motivations, regrets, alternatives like growth or bootstrapping, and investor pressures.

📉 Falling 0.3x Startups & Business
3,375
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#6199
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Keywords

IPO AOL EquityZen paulgraham.com shipmentoffail.com googles.html sell company selling business investors want sell sold money startup earnings

Sample Comments

bdjsiqoocwk Oct 2, 2024 View on HN

If a startup is making money, why sell?

_bq Jan 14, 2008 View on HN

Why would you want to sell it instead of making your startup grow?

fxtentacle Apr 13, 2025 View on HN

You just don't. Choose randomly and then try to quickly sell the company. /s

doublerabbit Jun 7, 2021 View on HN

If your company is worth $3.9B why would you sell it? I can dream on how I could make the next-best product, but I don't dream about selling it.Maybe I'm missing business 101, why would you want to give up some your large diamond to some other company?

ivanjermakov Dec 18, 2023 View on HN

Why would you start a business with the end goal of selling it?

checker659 Jan 10, 2013 View on HN

How about he sell the company and move on?

tjmaxal Feb 23, 2011 View on HN

Anyone else note the different mentalities between seeking more capital and outright selling the company?

fs111 Jan 11, 2018 View on HN

Build a company to sell it to a big player and get $$$$$.

bitbotbit Oct 26, 2015 View on HN

Has anyone sold their company, then regretted it from a time investment standpoint?

coldcode Sep 26, 2018 View on HN

You sell something for billions of dollars to a giant entity who makes money by selling user data, you should realize they will want to make money to pay for those billions. Most of the time such a purchase results in the original founders departing. You may as well leave at first opportunity. You can always build something else, now with your own money.