Acquired

Episode 18: Special—An Acquirer’s View into M&A with Taylor Barada, head of Corp Dev at Adobe

Aug 22, 2016

01:09:43

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Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Is There a Hybrid Approach?

05:49

CorpDev - What's the Beginning of the Story?

04:15

The Art of Valuing Companies Is Not Science

04:29

Introduction

2min

CorpDev - What's the Beginning of the Story?

4min

Are They the Type of People That You Want to Work With?

4min

Investing in Adobe

2min

The Art of Valuing Companies Is Not Science

4min

What's the Process of the Acquisition?

2min

Is It a Good Idea to Do a Product Check Early On?

6min

The Relationship Between Corpde and the Business Owner

3min

The Mistakes of Venture Investing

4min

10.

Getting to the Core of the Corpora Business

4min

11.

How Do You Maximize Throughput of Your Business?

2min

12.

Are You Ready to Say No?

2min

13.

Is Mane a Tool?

6min

14.

Is There a Hybrid Approach?

6min

15.

Is It the Right Culture Fit?

3min

16.

A Instagram Story, a Taylor's Lack A.

4min

17.

How Important Routines Are to Success?

3min

18.

The Most Dominant Athlete Ever Lived in the Sport

3min

Ben & David are joined by special guest Taylor Barada, VP and Head of Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships at Adobe, to discuss how large tech acquirers approach buying companies. This episode is full of great insights for startups & entrepreneurs who might find themselves navigating the M&A process, as well as anyone curious about the craft of dealmaking and the strategic approach of large acquirers.

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Topics covered include:

How conversations begin between startups and acquirers
The importance of building a relationship with acquirers over time and "investing in lines, not dots” (just like raising VC)
The often under-appreciated role of culture fit between acquirers and acquisition targets
How entrepreneurs should evaluate acquirers throughout the M&A process
Two examples of successful acquisitions Taylor completed at Yahoo in Citizen Sports and IntoNow
The M&A process at large technology acquirers, from initial conversations to LOI, due diligence and the definitive merger agreement
The relative roles of Corp Dev, business/product owners and executive sponsors in the M&A process
Common mistakes startups (and VC’s) often make in the M&A process
Different “categories” of M&A that acquirers think about, and the relative risks & opportunities of “core" acquisitions vs transformative new businesses
What percentage of deals Adobe looks at actually happen, and the importance of being willing to say no
M&A as a tool for strategy, and the different M&A cultures & approaches at different companies
Tech themes Taylor and Adobe think about as part of their M&A strategy
Evaluating the longterm success of deals and the importance of the M&A integration function

Followups: