Y Rumors ?

yrumors.blogspot.com

2 points·mf··5 comments

I like that PG claims the Kikos didn't die of their own making. It's definitely their fault that 1) they entered an area that Google already had heavy interest in (not to mention a ton of internal development on) and 2) that they didn't try to pull a Zenter and get acquired before being killed.

Not to say that they weren't/aren't smart guys running a good company that caught some bad luck, but the signs were there and there's a chance with a different approach we'd all be using their calendar now.

I believe PG said that they had spent some 3 months on another application when they should have been working on there main one, which would have put them further ahead.

Personally I feel they got good money for what they made. If I could throw something together and sell it for that much on ebay I would but I believe the price they recieved was linked really to Y Combinator and as such the right people saw there listing.

>2) that they didn't try to pull a Zenter and get acquired before being killed.

I heard that they did have acquisition offers but they didn't want to commit to working for a new company for so many years. Ebay was the only way of selling with minimal commitment to the purchasers.

I suppose so. But really, that's what every potential acquiree faces, and there's so much destruction of value there just because you're so bored of the idea you don't want to work on it anymore.

If the acquirers don't suspect your intentions and you don't have any moral or ethical qualms about it you can try and pull an Aaron Swartz or at least a Justin Frankel.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com