Perhaps I'm just sadistic, but I actually like the fact that it's taking startups years to reach an IPO. As someone who has witnessed a startup die slowly over the past year as the C-levels chased the impossible dream of an IPO, I wish that more people would realize that it's the creation of solid products by great people that get your company bought or IPO'd.

"So much so, that you are seeing public companies withdraw and go private to save the average half a million a year in costs."

A public company that goes private to save $500k/year has much, much bigger problems. I'm guessing that it'd take >10 years to amortize the legal costs of going private if that is all they're saving!