This is the first time I’ve heard from people on the other side of a Bending Spoons acquisition. The Chief Technology Officer and Product Manager start talking about the experience in more detail around the six-minute mark.

At the time, we felt Bending Spoons would provide the resources and operational expertise to help us realize those ambitions at scale. What I didn’t know was how the transition would be handled.

What they didn’t tell us was the high cost of that subscription model. We had some very different ideas of what that should be, and there was a firm disagreement with Bending Spoons, and...

vladcampos.com

@vladcampos Founders who sell their company to earn money. Later, they are sad about selling their product. Who owns the product decides. That is pretty simple. We saw that also with Microsoft and Wunderlist, and many more. I would never use the new tool of the same founder; it’s just a matter of time until it’s sold again. That’s why I support companies like Todoist, which don’t have an existing strategy.

@wyss.social Actually, I’m impressed by how openly they are talking about the subject. I don’t remember other founders or managers of other companies acquired by Bending Spoons sharing so many details about the post acquisition relationship.

@vladcampos Fact is, when you sell, then usually you’re out. Investors will tell you what you have to do. That’s why I prefer bootstrapped companies.

If the app would be good, it’s one thing. But for example, Evernote is years behind.

Bootstrapped founders retain control, but starve on distribution. Evernote bootstrapped to 225M users then plateaued. VC cash buys the flywheel: sales teams, ads, partnerships. Control is an early luxury, not a forever win.

Bootstrapping demands discipline. No investor safety net. You own every decision. Evernote stalled chasing features. Control beats cash every time. Build what wins.