IB SOLD

[Carlos]

You guys don't really understand that when you "sell" your company to someone else, you're actually selling a piece of your company - this in turn nets venture capital. iB may be a giant, but it still needs venture capital to keep the company running, keep the brand growing. iB is still an incorporated company, and its still offering stocks and shares. What private equity does it backs it better. Meaning: Quality.

The founders can buy back the percentage of whomever bought them out.

 

[bookmark]

Will IB acquire Xenforo someday?Hope it never happen.

 

[Carlos]

Will IB acquire Xenforo someday?Hope it never happen.

Usually, former company employee goes and builds new company. Former company acquires new company. Happens all the time.

But you never know. Its up to Kier to sell to someone more capable. At this point of time, it is not a smart decision to be acquired by a bigger company. It needs to grow, the product needs to be proven.

 

[Onimua]

Will IB acquire Xenforo someday?Hope it never happen.

If that were to happen, I'm not sure how people would react towards him as well as Mike and Ashley. He's made it clear that some decisions that happened at vB were out of his control, even before IB, and what happened was something he couldn't change.

Being an owner from XF at the start and having a say in what happens with the product/company directly and what it will do, I can't imagine that he, as well as Mike and Ashley, would turn their backs on us like that. Cash out? Sure... but if they ever wanted to get back into managing a business/writing software they'd be facing an uphill battle as the internet doesn't forgive and forget so easily.

People are seeing XenForo as a safe haven right now with people they trust. It would be flat-out foolish to betray that.

 

[EQnoble]

You guys don't really understand that when you "sell" your company to someone else, you're actually selling a piece of your company - this in turn nets venture capital. iB may be a giant, but it still needs venture capital to keep the company running, keep the brand growing. iB is still an incorporated company, and its still offering stocks and shares. What private equity does it backs it better. Meaning: Quality.

The founders can buy back the percentage of whomever bought them out.

With your stated logic that would mean once someone wants to buy back shares THEY CAN'T ..the company becomes private there is no shares and if they do offer someone to buy back % do you think they would do so at a low rate after they invested time and money. In the end it will inflate the cost of an underdeveloped version.
Private means no regulatory body unless you consider the owners reputable. In the case with vB that ship has sailed and iB can go walk the plank for all I care.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

Will IB acquire Xenforo someday?Hope it never happen.

I have read prior responses from Mike and Kier... and the basic gist went something like, "It would be a dark day in hell before that happened!" I am glad they have entered this with principles and loyalty to their customers... as customers make or break companies, and greed doesn't usually travel well with customers nowadays with the shear ease and availability of options the www have presented so readily to us all. Once upon a time we had little choice to put up with corporate BS... but the web has allowed so much more competition to be found so rapidly... one big mistake can be forgiven... two and people are walking out the door... three and the doors are getting locked.

 

[EQnoble]

Usually, former company employee goes and builds new company. Former company acquires new company. Happens all the time.

But you never know. Its up to Kier to sell to someone more capable. At this point of time, it is not a smart decision to be acquired by a bigger company. It needs to grow, the product needs to be proven.

It is never a good idea to sell... iwas under the impression this was started as a means to an end... a real solution to a real problem approached proactively through the construction of this software. Selling this company would be against the whole point and would be history repeating itself. I don't think I even need to ask if this would be getting sold in the near future as I'm pretty sure the reason that this software exists in itself makes selling it a moot point.

 

[Kim]

Will IB acquire Xenforo someday?Hope it never happen.

GO ... NOW.. and wash that mouth out with soap and water

 

[Carlos]

It is never a good idea to sell... iwas under the impression this was started as a means to an end... a real solution to a real problem approached proactively through the construction of this software. Selling this company would be against the whole point and would be history repeating itself. I don't think I even need to ask if this would be getting sold in the near future as I'm pretty sure the reason that this software exists in itself makes selling it a moot point.

At some point, a product wears out in the eyes of entrepreneur. Selling to a bigger brand intensifies the entrepreneurial spirit. Jelsoft has been running for almost a decade (or more). The product has wear and tear because it is stuck in the past, and not evolving into the future. John saw this, and sold it. This is saying "here, I don't want to deal with the headaches anymore, buy it. Its yours."

With your stated logic that would mean once someone wants to buy back shares THEY CAN'T ..the company becomes private there is no shares and if they do offer someone to buy back % do you think they would do so at a low rate after they invested time and money. In the end it will inflate the cost of an underdeveloped version.
Private means no regulatory body unless you consider the owners reputable. In the case with vB that ship has sailed and iB can go walk the plank for all I care.

How you think they went public when they were a private equity company? Think dude. Private Equity is a venture capital term. Not a company government.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

I don't get whey they don't have x developers maintaining and x developers starting from scratch with a new core that is far more sustainable into the products future growth. I just don't get it... some of the talent that exists in this world for software development, especially the up and coming out of schooling... innovation is there, they just have to employ it and let them lose without so many restrictions.

 

[EQnoble]

At some point, a product wears out in the eyes of entrepreneur. Selling to a bigger brand intensifies the entrepreneurial spirit. Jelsoft has been running for almost a decade (or more). The product has wear and tear because it is stuck in the past, and not evolving into the future. John saw this, and sold it. This is saying "here, I don't want to deal with the headaches anymore, buy it. Its yours."

How you think they went public when they were a private equity company? Think dude. Private Equity is a venture capital term. Not a company government.

Your splitting hairs...point is company sells there is fallout ..period I don't care what fancy term you have for it.. In the end the customers pay for it...Also regardless of what the company is generally doing, "Private Equity" as you say...the article said they bought it. A firm who doesn't know you or look at vb's sites to see what problems you are having. Now they will be managing the site.
Also how does one established company selling to another establish company for a number in the millions equate to entrepreneurship or the spirit of it. Just curious to know where you got that from.

 

[Carlos]

Your splitting hairs...point is company sells there is fallout ..period I don't care what fancy term you have for it.. In the end the customers pay for it...Also regardless of what the company is generally doing, "Private Equity" as you say...the article said they bought it. A firm who doesn't know you or look at vb's sites to see what problems you are having. Now they will be managing the site.

They "bought it" as in VENTURE CAPITAL equity. Listen. Every company has shares, every company has stocks, every company allocates EQUITY. This equity can be bought AND sold. Private Equity is a term that a venture capital firm USE to determine WHO they are, WHAT they do, and HOW they do the venture offering. Capital = Money. Venture = Undertaking Company. This news here is nothing earth shattering. Now, the buyout by Internet Brands means the COMPANY owns the brand rights, trademarks, and all the assets that come with it. Internet Brands is a PARENT company, while the news here is about a PRIVATE EQUITY firm acquiring a COMPANY - Pay attention. The only ones that care two crap about about who owns a parent company or not - the press, which in turn reaches the investors - now that's the target. Not you. Not the customers.

Oh, and the SEC.

Also how does one established company selling to another establish company for a number in the millions equate to entrepreneurship or the spirit of it. Just curious to know where you got that from.

I've been reading a lot lately, so don't question me. A lot of reading. The co-founder of Ebay is now a venture capitalist of many of the world's biggest brands, that includes Facebook. So, really, entrepreneurs have a burning desire to create something new, something fresh, something trending.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

The press release is stating the company is buying it out, paying out the shareholders and by the sounds of things, taking it of the public shareholder registry as a publicly traded company IF the shareholders accept the offer, being the major stakeholders in the company. VB is part of IB... that means, new management, that means... more POSSIBLE changes, more likely than not... more uncertainty placed within the customers minds. The firm is not buying out the major shares for ownership, they are buying the entire thing out, total shares owned, at x price per share paid to all shareholders so its 100% private.

That is my understanding of the news announcement.

 

[gnatster]

There is the possibility that some good will come out of it too. By going private the company leaders no longer live and die by quarterly results. Meaning that money can be put back into R&D with the company taking a more long term view of results.

 

[Carlos]

The press release is stating the company is buying it out, paying out the shareholders and by the sounds of things, taking it of the public shareholder registry as a publicly traded company IF the shareholders accept the offer, being the major stakeholders in the company. VB is part of IB... that means, new management, that means... more POSSIBLE changes, more likely than not... more uncertainty placed within the customers minds. The firm is not buying out the major shares for ownership, they are buying the entire thing out, total shares owned, at x price per share paid to all shareholders so its 100% private.

That is my understanding of the news announcement.

Yes, that's true, but I would not worry about it because private equity firms are private capitalists. Its the same thing as venture capitalists, but only private. I wouldn't worry about changes, either. Business as usual. But if change DOES occur, it would be because the new owners decided on it. Not iB.

There is the possibility that some good will come out of it too. By going private the company leaders no longer live and die by quarterly results. Meaning that money can be put back into R&D with the company taking a more long term view of results.

Interesting.

 

[fattony69]

"On September 20, 2010, Internet Brands, Inc. (“Internet Brands” or the “Company”) announced that it
has agreed to sell the Company to Hellman & Friedman Capital Partners VI, L.P. ("Hellman &
Friedman"). Under the terms of the going private transaction, Internet Brands shareholders will
receive $13.35 in cash for each share of Internet Brands common stock they own for a total
transaction value of approximately $640 million.

The investigation concerns whether the Internet Brands Board of Directors breached their fiduciary
duties to Internet Brands stockholders by failing to adequately shop the Company before entering
into this transaction and whether Hellman & Friedman is underpaying for Internet Brands shares,
thus unlawfully harming Internet Brands stockholders. In particular, at least one analyst set a price
target for Internet Brands stock at $14.00 per share."

 

[Crazyfruitbat]

Where has our mouthy mod gone?

 

[Kier]

If this doesn't stop now there will be bannings. No further warnings.

 

[Mike]

And hey look, all that crap is gone now.

 

[Kim]

And hey look, all that crap is gone now.

Thank you kind sir