Nice article recently was published on Business 2.0 called "As Wall Street quakes, Silicon Valley yawns". Beyond this dramatic title, it speaks about (quote):
"...
A funny thing is happening in Silicon Valley.
...
Silicon Valley is far different place than it was seven years ago when the dotcom bubble burst. You see, unlike the rip-roaring days of 2000 when countless twentysomething-ers and wannabe day traders bet heavily on rising stocks, Silicon Valley no longer needs Wall Street.
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What it needs are the four cash-rich superpowers (Google, eBay, Yahoo, Amazon), a handful of lesser powers with profitable niches (like Salesforce.com), and the vast co-dependent kingdoms that each has opened up for aspiring entrepreneurs.
...
"
Is it really true? I am afraid that I have to agree at this moment. I believe "potential IPO" still was forcing founders/CEOs to build better business and better company by all means. With those "to be acquired" dreams and goals those intentions getting lost. Of course, it may be better - entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs. They run one company, and then another, and loop back. But how long could it stay like that? Who will be building new Google or eBay, or (you name it)?
Startups are fun, but it's still necessary to know that business needs to be run, not just sucessfully launched.
Anyway. I cannot blame people with goals to sell company when it will be possible. Don't know what I'll do in the face of opportunity to sell my businesses. But, I think it's still a thing to think about.