It’s as if the dot-bomb never happened. Google, the internet search engine, is now going public, delivering the IPO that investors hope could breathe new life into the sagging silicon of Dot-com Valley.
But it came with a strange owner’s manual a letter from the Google founders insisting their IPO would be done on their terms, not on Wall Street’s. The thirty-something engineers say they want to democratize the IPO process, declaring that company shares will be sold by auction to the public, rather than through inside deals with investment banks. And guess what? Some market observers say this is an IPO your grandmother could love, others say it’s an unfair grab for power and profits. The Google search for a way to go public, without the public.
Guests:
Chris Legg, Venture Capitalist, Principal at ARGO
Josh Macht, editor of TIME Magazine’s online edition
William Sahlman, Harvard Business School Professor
Mitch Ratcliffe, blog editor and writer for “Red Herring” magazine