SaaStr · 2012-11-06 · 4957d

Building for Legacy: Why Going Big Matters in Startups

Jason Lemkin argues that while small, profitable bootstrapped startups can be financially successful, they lack the permanence and legacy that comes from scaling aggressively. He contends that achieving true legacy requires achieving a large exit or IPO that embeds your product into a major platform with long-term staying power, using EchoSign's integration into Adobe Acrobat as a prime example.

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Metrics in this report

Acrobat Suite Annual Revenue

800,000,000$

approximately

Adobe business segment with integrated EchoSign

Adobe Reader Installed Base

1,000,000,000+devices

minimum

free software distribution platform

BabyCenter Website Ranking Duration

15years

minimum

sustained presence in Top 350 websites

EchoSign Product Integration Lifespan

10+years

minimum guaranteed

integration into Acrobat customer commitments

NanoGram Devices Return

600%

total return

13-month holding period