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An acquisition so wild and crazy, they had to do it again. And again. Ben & David cover tech\\u2019s perhaps most-traded asset, Skype (which also happens to be a fantastic business). How do we even know which deal to grade? Tune in to find out\\u2026\\xa0

Sponsors:
Vanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvanta
Crusoe: https://bit.ly/acquiredcrusoe
Modern Treasury: https://bit.ly/acquiredmoderntreasury

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• Community spotlight: Slack community member Swyx\\u2019s financial data research startup Sentieo!\\xa0
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• Skype founders Niklas Zennstr\\xf6m and Janus Friis\\u2019s meeting in the 1990\\u2019s at Swedish telecom company Tele2
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• Zennstr\\xf6m & Friis\\u2019s introduction to talented Estonian developers Jaan Tallinn, Ahti Heinla, and Priit Kasesalu as part of Tele2\\u2019s efforts to jump into the dot com \\u201cportal mania\\u201d\\xa0
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• Skype\\u2019s origins in the technology powering Zennstr\\xf6m, Friis and the Estonians\\u2019 first startup endeavor together: the peer-to-peer file sharing platform Kazaa\\n
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• The \\u201ccomplicated\\u201d legal, technological and ownership situation for Kazaa and Skype\\xa0
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• Skype\\u2019s \\u201cunique\\u201d corporate culture, including a swimming pool in the board room and shots for initiating new employees\\xa0
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• The \\xa0first Skype acquisition: eBay\\u2019s 2005 deal to acquire the company for $2.6B, just two years after launch
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• \\nCulture clash between eBay and Skype management, and further legal drama regarding Skype technology ownership post-acquisition\\n
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• The \\xa0second Skype acquisition: eBay\\u2019s 2009 decision to spin the company out to a private investor consortium including Silver Lake and the newly-formed Andreessen Horowitz\\xa0
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• \\n\\xa0The third (and final?) Skype acquisition: Microsoft\\u2019s $8.5B purchase of the company in 2011
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• Skype as a \\u201ccrossover\\u201d product with viable market opportunities both in consumer and enterprise
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• Bill Gurley\\u2019s \\u201cKeys to the 10X Revenue Club\\u201d and the power of Skype\\u2019s organic customer acquisition model
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\\xa0 Followups:\\xa0

• \\n\\xa0The Google iPhone\\u2026 err, Pixel!\\xa0

\\xa0 Hot Takes:\\xa0

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• \\n\\xa0AT&T\\u2019s $85B mega-acquisition of Time Warner\\u2026 making America great again, or rebuilding the T-1000?\\xa0
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• \\xa0The New York Times acquiring The Wirecutter
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\\xa0 The Carve Out:\\xa0

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• Ben: Sam Altman\\u2019s Manifest Destiny\\n
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• David: \\xa0SOMA the Musical starring our very own Acquired listener, the brilliant and talented Jake Saper!
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