About four weeks ago, I blogged about Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo ([1] 849: Is that miles or light years?). One of the key points that I tried to make was that the anti-Microsoft culture in the Valley is so deeply ingrained that it borders on the religious. There was a great article in today’s Times ([2] Hostility Has Its Rewards) that also touches on this same point, by an unnamed VC, no less:

"Yahoo is “under attack from Darth Vader” one venture capitalist told me."

The Dark Side. The Borg. Microsoft.

The Valley, and by extension Yahoo, will resist assimilation. It’s in their water supply. It’s in their DNA.

The article quotes Larry Ellison extensively and credits him with legitimizing and validating the hostile approach to takeovers. It goes on to suggest that he’s even cheering for Microsoft to prevail. Of course he is!

Your biggest competitor is spending $44 billion and untold senior management cycles moving into a completely different sandbox than you’re playing in. With Microsoft’s time, attention and money diverted from the enterprise and business applications markets, Oracle laughs all the way to the bank.

"You go, Steve!" Wink, wink, nudge, nudge…

That’s my .02!

Martin Suter

([3] martin.suter@iplicensing.net)