Assertion certainty 4/5 debate potential 1/5

Hootsuite involves talent assessment in every acquisition deal

Matt Switzer · 20VC: 3 Things Acquirers Look For In Startup M&A's, How To Price A Startup Acquisition & The Biggest Risk of M&A with Matt Switzer, SVP of Corporate Development @ Hootsuite · Oct 2, 2017 · at 8:35

Matt Switzer, SVP of Corporate Development at Hootsuite, discusses how Hootsuite structure its deal process to mitigate M&A integration risk.

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“For us at least, talent is involved in every transaction that we do. It's very rare we pursue a transaction without that Particular T being in place.”

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Putting an explicit for-sale sign on a startup destroys value
“I think generally, unless you are in a situation where you absolutely need to sell, I think it's inadvisable to put a for sale sign in front of your company. I really think it's too much opportunity to destroy value. I think you can just leave too much value o…”
Matt Switzer Oct 2, 2017 ▶ 15:11 20VC: 3 Things Acquirers Look For In Startup M&A's, How To Price A Startup Acquisition & The Biggest Risk of M&A with Matt Switzer, SVP of Corporate Development @ Hootsuite
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Funding rounds signal M&A availability or price startups out of acquisitions
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Disclosure
Hootsuite only engages VCs regarding M&A with startup management consent
“We almost always try to work through the management team directly, or if we are interacting with VCs, we are typically trying to do so with the consent of management.”
Matt Switzer Oct 2, 2017 ▶ 18:01 20VC: 3 Things Acquirers Look For In Startup M&A's, How To Price A Startup Acquisition & The Biggest Risk of M&A with Matt Switzer, SVP of Corporate Development @ Hootsuite
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“I think you often see startups trying to engineer the perfect process, trying to make the company look as perfect as it can possibly be, and I think probably the thing I like founders to know the most is really that trust is everything. You know, we, it's more…”
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