Rishi Garg’s M&A Playbooks from Twitter and Square

In this episode, Rishi Garg, former Head of Corporate Development at Twitter and Square, shares insider knowledge on tech acquisitions. He explains when companies should start considering M&A and the three key approaches: tops down, bottoms up, and strategy influence. Rishi reveals how he managed up to 15 deals in 12 months and why integration is crucial for M&A success. He debunks common M&A misconceptions and discusses the "sins of omission" - deals he regrets not making. The conversation shifts to his current role as a VC at Mayfield Fund, offering a unique perspective on both sides of acquisitions.

LINKS:
  / rishigarg  
https://www.mayfield.com/

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X/SOCIAL:
@sashaorloff
@rishigarg (Rishi)

TIMESTAMPS
(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:02:53) How companies should think about M&A and corp dev
(00:06:58) Signs that a company is ready to consider M&A
(00:11:37) Different approaches to M&A: tops down, bottoms up, and strategy influencing
(00:16:52) How to start building an M&A team
(00:18:16) Sponsors: Netsuite | Metaview
(00:22:15) Misconceptions about M&A in Silicon Valley
(00:26:53) Valuation considerations in M&A deals
(00:34:31) Current state of M&A market and opportunities
(00:38:24) Sponsors: Omneky | Brave
(00:39:47) How M&A deals happen and relationship building
(00:45:55) Reasons why M&A deals don't work out
(00:51:50) Transition to Rishi's experience as a venture capitalist
(00:57:50) Advice for founders considering M&A
(01:02:09) Rishi's current interests in investing, particularly in AI and new platforms