Most of What You Need to Know About Silicon Valley, in 1 Tumblr

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"Some people seem to think that getting acquired should be the highest aspiration for an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley," ur-investor Vinod Khosla recently wrote. With "some people," though, he was being generous: Most people, it seems, seem to think that the end point of starting up is acquisition -- ideally, by Facebook, by Apple, by Google. The acquisition assumption means that there's a Valley full of incredibly smart, driven people who are founding things simply to sell them to giants. And though that may not be the most inspiring reason to start a company, it may well be the most practical. This little Wikipedia page -- "List of acquisitions by Google" -- is a testament to the ongoing enticement that the dream of acquisition represents.

Now, though, there's another page that speaks to the same idea: the "We've Been Acquired!" Tumblr. The site, launched this afternoon, ingeniously aggregates the many acquisition announcements -- posted to Twitter, to Tumblr, to websites -- that drive tech culture from its roots. Those announcements are replete with effusive excitement and giddy #humblebrags and also some Very Serious Statements, and, seen in the aggregate, they serve as a striking visual stand-in for a Valley full of deferential dreams.

Hat tip Chris Heller.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.