Michael Arrignton is getting concerned over the twists and turns in the proposed Microsoft-Yahoo acquisition. Fred Wilson is getting uneasy too. Both are getting quite a bit of attention on Techmeme. Funny thing is that Michael and Fred are concerned for exactly the opposite reasons.
Fred is concerned about companies after an acquisition. Is their value really preserved or maximized in the acquiring company. If not, maybe it’s time to look elsewhere. Michael is going the opposite direction and churning over whether it’s a wise move to hold out for more money when a company has made a bid to acquire it–particularly if the predicted path to increased value involves splitting up current products or services. What happens if it’s a bad decision?
What do I think? They are both right and wrong; you simply can’t predict the future.
One thing is for sure. If anyone–Yahoo included–follows their advice, there will blog posts that make it to the top of TechMeme that say how unsmart Yahoo is being. And if Yahoo doesn’t follow community advice, likewise there will be top TechMeme posts arguing that Yahoo should take this or that move as they’ve suggested all along.