[bootload]

"... I've heard PG say one key element of Viaweb getting acquired was that they had a top brand accounting firm which gave great credibility to their books. ..."

Where did you 'hear' that? Have you mixed this up with Viaweb engaging a top "PR" firm [0] to get better exposure? [1] It's still a good question though.

[0] "... When we started our startup in 1995, the first three were our biggest expenses. We had to pay $5000 for the Netscape Commerce Server, the only software that then supported secure http connections. We paid $3000 for a server with a 90 MHz processor and 32 meg of memory. And we paid a PR firm about $30,000 to promote our launch. ..." ~ http://www.paulgraham.com/vcsqueeze.html

[1] "... Our startup spent its entire marketing budget on PR: at a time when we were assembling our own computers to save money, we were paying a PR firm $16,000 a month ... Our PR firm was one of the best in the business. In 18 months, they got press hits in over 60 different publications" ~ http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

[pg]

We did have one of the big accounting firms (forget which) so I might have said in a talk somewhere that this helped us seem legit.

[bootload]

"... We did have one of the big accounting firms ... I might have said in a talk somewhere that this helped us seem legit ..."

Thanks for the confirmation. I'd never come across the accounting angle before. Was this later in the startup process where some recognition of Viaweb, introduction or wads of cash like the PR firm?

No stone unturned hey. Didn't think you would have to work that hard at it :)

[whycombo]

I heard it at Startup School '06 - I think at the mixer the night before. I'm curious if any have the flexibility in financing the work that some of the law firms will extend. Thought one of the big four might be in that niche.

[bootload]

"... I heard it at Startup School '06 - I think at the mixer the night before. ..."

Excellent, thanks. Shows there's a bit more in the talks than the writing , mp3's etc.