This is great advice, but what I would want to know is this:
As a small startup, how do you get yourself noticed by the big fish?
If you're bootstrapped and have a decent amount of traction an early payout might be a great idea, but you can't exactly cold call Google and ask them to buy you out... Does this just happen automatically as a side-effect of traction (and press coverage?) or are there strategic things a startup can do to get to that point where BigCo flies them out and gives them fuckyou money?
"Does this just happen automatically as a side-effect of traction (and press coverage?)"
Yes. It's an old axiom: "Companies get bought-- they don't get sold". If you are putting yourself on the auction block, it hurts your negotiating power-- it's best if they approach you.
Press helps here. OBVIOUS traction is good too (tech blogs love to write about growth). And, finding ways to get in front of corp-dev guys at the at Goog/etc. is good too. This is why investors are handy.
As a small startup, how do you get yourself noticed by the big fish?
If you're bootstrapped and have a decent amount of traction an early payout might be a great idea, but you can't exactly cold call Google and ask them to buy you out... Does this just happen automatically as a side-effect of traction (and press coverage?) or are there strategic things a startup can do to get to that point where BigCo flies them out and gives them fuckyou money?