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AM

Andrew Mason

10/15/14

@ Y Combinator

Going public is awful; it consumes a significant amount of your time and diverts focus from building a great company.

Video

YC

Andrew Mason at Startup School SV 2014

@ Y Combinator

10/15/14

Related Takeaways

DH

Drew Houston

02/24/17

@ Y Combinator

Going public introduces operational overhead due to compliance and regulatory requirements, which can distract from focusing on customers and products.

AM

Andrew Mason

10/15/14

@ Y Combinator

I advise founders to avoid going public as long as possible, as it can hinder your ability to focus on long-term success.

RR

Russ Roberts

08/07/19

@ Y Combinator

The emotional aspect of giving your company away is significant; it's like turning over your child to someone else, which can be a brutal experience for founders.

PS

Peter Singlehurst

03/19/25

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

It's really hard to be a public company due to reporting requirements and misaligned shareholder interests.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

09/18/18

@ Y Combinator

The process of selling the company was very painful and arduous, especially since I had to maintain a double life and couldn't be transparent with my team during the acquisition process.

SH

Severin Hacker

05/19/25

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Going public was a career highlight for me, as it represented a significant achievement after years of hard work.

DH

Drew Houston

02/24/17

@ Y Combinator

Deciding whether to stay private or go public is primarily a financing decision, influenced by the need for liquidity among employees and investors.

PS

Peter Singlehurst

03/19/25

@ 20VC with Harry Stebbings

You can build a better business by staying private for longer, as we're starting to see the evolution of large companies facilitating secondary rounds.

SA

Sam Altman

05/02/17

@ Y Combinator

As your company grows, your main job shifts from building a great product to building a great company, which is a significant transition for founders.