(2009-09-17) Inuit Buys Mint

Intuit bought Personal Finance site MintCom.

Jason Fried is pissed at the Sell Out. Mint was a key leader of the next generation of game changers. And now it's property of Intuit - the poster-child for the last generation. What a loss. Is that the best the next generation can do? Become part of the old generation? How about kicking the shit out of the old guys? What ever happened to that? Some commenters note that the "hard work" was really done by Yod Lee, and that MintCom was an thin-shell that was Built To Flip; others disagree, finding the user model Design special.

Dave McClure thinks flipping is good. In summary, the benefits of selling startups early -- or simply when a transaction is available -- may be a smart strategy for both entrepreneurs and VCs to help improve the market, and reward themselves at the same time. It may not be the best strategy for Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, or other titans of industry, but it might be a reasonable strategy for 1st-time entrepreneurs under 30 looking to establish their careers & ensure that future endeavors are more likely.