“we were acquired for an undisclosed amount”
Translation: we were 60 days from shutting it all down.
Here’s the pattern nobody wants to admit:
1/ Company’s almost out of cash, panic level on red.
2/ Founder starts dialing every potential “buyer” at light speed.
3/ If a miracle happens, someone offers to absorb your team. The product? They don’t even want it.
4/ Suddenly, press release: “Startup X acquired by Y at an undisclosed amount.”
You know what that really means?
↳ If you’d banked $50M, you’d tattoo it on your forehead.
↳ $25M? You’re shouting it from the rooftops.
↳ Even $5M gets paraded like a gold medal.
But when you have to hide the number?
It’s not an “exit.”
It’s damage control.
The acquirer gets a shortcut: your team, in one neat package.
You get a LinkedIn headline that saves face.
Let’s be real:
↳ This wasn’t a win. It was a soft landing.
↳ “Exit” sounds better than “we ran out of options.”
↳ Now you’ve got a story for your next raise. Or your resume.
This is standard startup theater.
At BuddiesHR, I watched founders worship the “acquisition” as the holy grail. But most of these deals? Glorified job placements with a coat of PR.
Don’t let the headlines fool you. Most “acquisitions” are just well-spun failures.
Truth hurts. Get over it.
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👋 Hey, I'm J.Y!
I'm the co-founder of BuddiesHR, the #1 Employee Engagement Software that lives in Slack.
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