This is the same way I feel, or at least how I think I feel right now. I am absolutely passionate about Fogbeam Labs and what we're doing (applying social-networking, machine learning, semantic web, etc. to enterprise software to improve productivity, knowledge sharing, learning, etc.), BUT... if somebody offered me enough money to where I could legitimately walk away with "FU money" it would be damn hard to say no.
I mean, if it was legitimately life-changing money, I could take the buyout, spend a year or two traveling, relaxing, exploring, enjoying the "good life" and looking for a six foot tall redheaded supermodel with a Scottish accent to be my girlfriend... and then, when I got bored with that, I'd have seed money for the next venture already in hand.
OTOH, how do you see your baby? When you pour blood, sweat and tears into something to that point that it's basically your life, how can you just walk away from that with some cash?
So I dunno... which is why I say I think I'd take the buyout, but I can't necessarily swear to it.
Your response feels very real. You can do the things you want to do AND THEN start a company that is more in tune with what you want to do then versus when you started your old startup. Sure you don't have your old startup anymore, but you have something newer and more exciting.
> Sure you don't have your old startup anymore, but you have something newer and more exciting.
or with the newly found money, create a competitor to the startup you just sold! And this time, you don't need to sell out, because you already did on the previous one, and have FU money to truely realize your vision...
That might be possible but a competent buyer will have you agree to a non-compete for a given amount of time (likely a couple years) before a sale is finalized.
I mean, if it was legitimately life-changing money, I could take the buyout, spend a year or two traveling, relaxing, exploring, enjoying the "good life" and looking for a six foot tall redheaded supermodel with a Scottish accent to be my girlfriend... and then, when I got bored with that, I'd have seed money for the next venture already in hand.
OTOH, how do you see your baby? When you pour blood, sweat and tears into something to that point that it's basically your life, how can you just walk away from that with some cash?
So I dunno... which is why I say I think I'd take the buyout, but I can't necessarily swear to it.