[amirmc]

> "A small startup that just started 3 weeks ago is more likely to be sold than a company like Dropbox, in my opinion"

I agree with the rest of your post but what you said above doesn't make sense to me. A 3 week startup is probably more likely to die than be bought whereas Dropbox would likely be a fantastic purchase (for anyone who could afford them). The aim of such Startups (at least if they have VC investors) is to sell the company at some point, whether that be to the public (IPO) or another company (acquisition).

[timjahn]

"A 3 week startup is probably more likely to die than be bought.."

Exactly. My point is that a 3 week old startup is more likely to disappear quickly (fail, get bought, etc.) than a company like Dropbox. Dropbox is a good acquisition target, but I think a company like that would take longer to do so.

As you said, a company like Dropbox could also go for an IPO, in which case, theoretically, they still provide the product that you're paying them for.