I often get asked about our exit strategy at Blossom. “Exit strategy” usually means what your strategy is to cash out/get rich. A similar question that regularly comes up is “What’s the company you plan to get acquired by?”.
The first few times I got these questions my reply was a blank stare.
I even felt bad about not having an answer.
By now I take the question as an opportunity to explain what I think about our market, our competition, where the whole software industry is going and why I’m excited about the space we’re in.
To be honest I’m fuelled by this crazy feeling that I have. Profound fear.
I’m scared that if we don’t do the things we do at Blossom no one else will.
For me building a company is about shaping your own and everyone else’s destiny.
Instead of complaining about the status quo and hoping someone listens we are shaping how the future of software development looks like. That’s just much more fun.
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it”
— Alan Kay
It’s ok to not have an exit strategy.
I’m glad we’re not the only ones who think like that. Phil Libin of Evernote has a great related Stanford talk about this: “No Exit Strategy for Your Life’s Work”.
Next time someone asks you whom you want to get acquired by don’t feel bad about not having an answer. Be bold. Take it as an opportunity to think about whom you’d like to partner with and whom you’d like to acquire.