Comments on: Is Acquiring Always Bad? http://www.wisdump.com/business/is-acquiring-always-bad/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-acquiring-always-bad Dumping wisdom on the masses Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:19:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Frank 'viperteq' Young http://www.wisdump.com/business/is-acquiring-always-bad/comment-page-1/#comment-8161 Frank 'viperteq' Young Fri, 01 Jun 2007 20:53:00 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=351#comment-8161 I think the whole negative vibe to seeing ones favorite sites/ apps/communities get bought out by bigger companies is that people are afraid of the culture of the company changing. Usually when a bigger company acquires a smaller company, it's because they're trying to cash in on the popularity of the company. Most larger companies aren't acquiring for the long term. This in turn affects the app/site/community. The users can sense when things change (even if nothing really changes) and can tell when the parent company is no longer interested or invested in the long term development of the site/app/community. I think the whole negative vibe to seeing ones favorite sites/ apps/communities get bought out by bigger companies is that people are afraid of the culture of the company changing. Usually when a bigger company acquires a smaller company, it’s because they’re trying to cash in on the popularity of the company. Most larger companies aren’t acquiring for the long term. This in turn affects the app/site/community. The users can sense when things change (even if nothing really changes) and can tell when the parent company is no longer interested or invested in the long term development of the site/app/community.

]]> By: Mike Hickman http://www.wisdump.com/business/is-acquiring-always-bad/comment-page-1/#comment-8160 Mike Hickman Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:51:43 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=351#comment-8160 I have to disagree on the Measure Map example. While Measure Map stayed stagnant for a while, the MM team was ultimately hard at work designing the new Google Analytics interface (which if you haven't seen it yet absolutely rocks). The new GA interface is based a lot on the initial MM design, so it's easy to see what influence a small team had on a similar product within such a large organization. So there was a positive outcome from that particular acquisition, even if it wasn't for the initial product purchased. I have to disagree on the Measure Map example.

While Measure Map stayed stagnant for a while, the MM team was ultimately hard at work designing the new Google Analytics interface (which if you haven’t seen it yet absolutely rocks).

The new GA interface is based a lot on the initial MM design, so it’s easy to see what influence a small team had on a similar product within such a large organization.

So there was a positive outcome from that particular acquisition, even if it wasn’t for the initial product purchased.

]]> By: Connor Wilson http://www.wisdump.com/business/is-acquiring-always-bad/comment-page-1/#comment-8159 Connor Wilson Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:06:25 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=351#comment-8159 I think being acquired is always a good change for the big players. YouTube for example, they were working in a small crappy office, and being bought out by Google must've helped them there. Whether they moved out of there or not is their choice, but they have the option now :P It should give them freedom to work with less pressure in a nicer environment. With a ton of corporate money behind you can be really live up to your potential, I think. I think being acquired is always a good change for the big players. YouTube for example, they were working in a small crappy office, and being bought out by Google must’ve helped them there. Whether they moved out of there or not is their choice, but they have the option now :P

It should give them freedom to work with less pressure in a nicer environment. With a ton of corporate money behind you can be really live up to your potential, I think.

]]> By: Scrivs http://www.wisdump.com/business/is-acquiring-always-bad/comment-page-1/#comment-8158 Scrivs Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:04:47 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=351#comment-8158 Dodgeball was a weird thing. It was huge last year at SXSW like Twitter was this year, but then nothing. Google seems to be slow to move on things when the acquire them though, MeasureMap being an excellent example. Dodgeball was a weird thing. It was huge last year at SXSW like Twitter was this year, but then nothing. Google seems to be slow to move on things when the acquire them though, MeasureMap being an excellent example.

]]> By: peroty http://www.wisdump.com/business/is-acquiring-always-bad/comment-page-1/#comment-8157 peroty Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:23:24 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=351#comment-8157 <a href="http://dodgeball.com" rel="nofollow">Dodgeball</a> comes to mind. After being acquired by Google, nothing really happened and the <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/dpstyles/460987802/" rel="nofollow">founder left</a>. Dodgeball comes to mind. After being acquired by Google, nothing really happened and the founder left.

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