Acquired

Acquired kicks off our China tech mini-series by teaming up with the best in the business: Hans and Zara from GGV’s 996 Podcast! Together we cover the largest technology IPO in the world since fellow China tech giant Alibaba in 2014: Xiaomi, where Hans has been an investor and board member from the very beginning. This episode is chock full of history and insight on both Xiaomi and what’s happening in China tech more broadly, and why we all should be paying attention. No matter where you live, this is definitely not one to miss!Sponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Intapp: https://bit.ly/intappcelesteSentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryAnthropic: https://bit.ly/acquiredclaude25More Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLC

Dive into Tesla's electrifying journey, from its bold inception to its 2010 IPO. Explore Elon Musk's rise from PayPal mogul to automotive innovator, navigating early challenges with the Roadster and embracing bold designs. Discover how Hollywood intertwined with tech culture, inspiring the Iron Man character. Witness the Model S's groundbreaking launch, and delve into the company's unique branding and financial hurdles, including the Model 3 demand surge and the SolarCity acquisition. It's a thrilling look at a transformative automotive giant!

Aaron Easterly, CEO of Rover.com, shares his journey in building a billion-dollar pet care marketplace. He discusses the exciting merger with DogVacay, detailing strategic challenges and the evolution of consumer behavior in the pet industry. The podcast highlights pivotal moments in Rover's growth, from skeptical investors to data-driven strategies. Easterly also reflects on the cultural shifts in pet ownership and the importance of adapting business models in a competitive market. A mix of heartfelt stories and tech insights make this conversation truly engaging.

We’re live on the scene the day following the biggest announcement in the open source software world since well, open source software: Microsoft acquiring GitHub for $7.5B in stock. How did we get here? What does it mean for software developers going forward? And most importantly, why is there a creepy half-cat / half-octopus plastered all over everything? As always, Acquired has the answers.Sponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Intapp: https://bit.ly/intappcelesteSentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryAnthropic: https://bit.ly/acquiredclaude25More Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLCCarve Outs:Ben: The Idea Maze by Chris DixonDavid: Invisible Asymptotes by Eugene Wei

Dive into the thrilling merger saga of T-Mobile and Sprint, filled with competitive drama and strategic moves. Discover Craig McCaw's inspiring journey, overcoming personal loss to revolutionize telecommunications. Learn how T-Mobile disrupted the market, challenging giants like AT&T and Verizon with innovative strategies. Explore Sprint's unique evolution from railroads to wireless, as well as the intense bidding war that reshaped its destiny. This episode reveals the intricate dance of power, competition, and resilience in the telecom industry.

Acquired returns with a classic, delving into Microsoft’s first acquisition ever: Forethought Inc, the makers of PowerPoint. Hate it or love it, you can’t deny the combined companies’ impact: by the early 90’s PowerPoint had transformed the way businesses, educators and governments communicate, ensuring job security for pointy-haired Dilbert bosses everywhere.Sponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Intapp: https://bit.ly/intappcelesteSentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryAnthropic: https://bit.ly/acquiredclaude25More Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLCLinks: Robert Gaskins’ definitive history of building PowerPoint: Sweating BulletsAbsolute Powerpoint by Ian Parker Carve Outs:Ben: Mindfulness in Plain English and discussion on Hacker NewsDavid:  The Birds have landed…

Acquired wraps up a big few weeks of coverage with not an IPO or an M&A or a fundraising round, but what’s still the largest tech exit in recent memory: Spotify’s $30B direct public listing. We dive into what it all means and how we got here: from Napster to iTunes to Facebook (and even some Justin Timberlake thrown in for good measure). Acquired FM is on the scene and spinning all the hits from this new wave music industry titan! Note: We incorrectly described Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s ownership stake in Spotify as 25%+; that is actually his voting control. His economic ownership is 9.3%, and cofounder Martin Lorentzon’s is 12.4%. We apologize for the error!Sponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Intapp: https://bit.ly/intappcelesteSentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryAnthropic: https://bit.ly/acquiredclaude25More Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLCLinks: Internet History Podcast on the Napster Story with Jordan Ritter Sean Parker’s email to Daniel EkCarve Outs:Ben: Black Panther (and  soundtrack on Spotify!)David: “Silicon Ballet” panel at San Francisco Ballet on Saturday, April 28

Acquired is live on the scene following Dropbox’s public market debut. From playing a central role in the early days of Y Combinator, to having Steve Jobs famously label the company a “feature not a product”, to pivoting from consumers to enterprise to developers and back again, the silicon valley history runs deep with this one. What twists and turns lie ahead for Dropbox as a public company? We speculate!Sponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Intapp: https://bit.ly/intappcelesteSentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryAnthropic: https://bit.ly/acquiredclaude25More Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLCLinks: Dropbox’s Y Combinator applicationOriginal Dropbox demo videoCarve Outs:Ben:  Raytracing comes to DirectXDavid: Lazy Game Reviews

Acquired dives into the topic on the minds and lips of just about every VC and founder these days: SoftBank’s $93B+ Vision Fund, and its seemingly-overnight rewriting of the rules of venture capital and startup fundraising. Where did this new 800lbs gorilla come from, what are its goals, and what does it mean for the future of silicon valley and the global tech ecosystem? The answer, it turns out, starts with an acquisition, and unfolds into a story no one has yet told and few yet understand. Luckily our heroes are on the case!Sponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Intapp: https://bit.ly/intappcelesteSentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryAnthropic: https://bit.ly/acquiredclaude25More Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLCLinks:Masayoshi Son on Charlie RoseCarve Outs:Ben:  eBoys: The First Inside Account of Venture Capitalists at WorkDavid: Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy (starting with  The Three-Body Problem)Bonus: shout out to Brian McCullough’s new podcast the  Ride Home, in partnership with TechMeme!

Acquired brings it all back home—to the smart home that is—with Google’s 2014 acquisition of Nest for $3.2B. From Nest cofounder Tony Fadell’s first job at General Magic (alongside future Android founder Andy Rubin) to his days as “father of the iPod” under Steve Jobs at Apple, the Silicon Valley history runs deep with this one. But did that make the acquisition a good move for Google in the coming battle with Amazon’s “Lady A” for control over consumers’ homes? We dive in!Sponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Intapp: https://bit.ly/intappcelesteSentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryAnthropic: https://bit.ly/acquiredclaude25More Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLCLinks:Tony Fadell in the Academy of AchievementSteve Jobs deleting Tony Fadell from his FavoritesCarve Outs:Ben: Do by Friday podcastDavid: A Kingdom from Dust By Mark Arax in The California Sunday Magazine