[DenverR]

Love the FTC getting to decide if you’re permitted to sell your startup or forced to deliver more shareholder value.

[breadwinner]

If a big company in dominant position is allowed to gobble up any and all upstart competitors that's bad for competition, and it is the FTC's job to preserve competition.

[DenverR]

How was Figma able to generate any value operating in Adobe’s powerful monopoly?

[kccqzy]

It sounds like you are actually upset at Congress, which created FTC and gave it the power to decide if you can sell your startup. FTC is just doing the job prescribed by Congress.

[BobAliceInATree]

$20 billion sell price is no longer a “startup”

[mosura]

Indeed, in a week Meta will offer that to an ML undergrad as a signing bonus.

[linotype]

As an investor that can’t invest in private companies, I love it unsarcastically.

[kelnos]

I do love it. Companies don't exist solely to enrich their founders, they exist to provide a benefit to society. There needs to be a balance, of course, but if allowing a sale does not benefit society, then we should not allow it.

> your startup

You're under the misconception that companies "belong" to individuals. Companies are legal frameworks that society has decided upon. We could legally decide that M&A just isn't allowed, ever, if we wanted to. (I don't think that would be a good idea, but I hope you see my point.)

[bagacrap]

It's also not "your" startup once there are shareholders, including employees.

If it's a one person shop, then sure it's "yours", and the FTC can't block you from being hired (that I'm aware).

[DenverR]

Congratulations you’ve just described central planning.

So “society” should be able to veto a sale, but when payroll is due the owners are on the hook?