[eli_gottlieb]

Of course it's bad for "building real businesses". However, for those starting and running companies that get acquihired, it's the rational decision: our current technology, software and tech labor markets dramatically undervalue both R&D spending and work done for hire in general. The acquihire has become, for the seller, one of the few ways of capturing the full value of their labors, and for the seller, a replacement for internal research and development.