The primary reason a company usually goes public is to offer a path to liquidity (cash) to its shareholders (mostly employees and investors) via selling shares on an open market. There are other reasons, but this is typically the primary one. As mentioned in another reply, GitLab already has investors and a board.

What's your preferred outcome? Staying private? I'm not sure any of these companies are set up with this intent. The goals seem to be IPO or to be acquired. My understanding is that the barriers to IPO usually means acquisition is preferred.

Gitlab already had investors to answer to, it is by no means a bootstrapped company.