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# The Acquisition Economy
- URL: https://www.chrismessina.me/blog/the-acquisition-economy/
- Published: 2006-02-15T12:11:21.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-25T03:43:59.000Z
- Author: Chris Messina
- Tags: Technology

It does seem as though Web 2.0 is not really about attempting to [go-it-alone](http://37signals.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) and making independent success (as was the apparent [trend](http://fuckedcompany.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) in Web 1.0) more about greek-alphabet soup [acquisitions and buy-outs](http://web2.wsj2.com/making%5Fweb%5F20%5Fcommercially%5Fsuccessful.htm?ref=chrismessina.me). Anyway, I'm not the first to make this point, but it does seem that most end up being picked up in beta.. or alpha. Etc: [Measure Map gets acquired by Google](http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/02/here-comes-measure-map.html?ref=chrismessina.me) in something like the *Alpha* phase. Delicious was probably in *gamma*, flickr said *beta* but was more like *delta*. Anyway, now we've got an arms race between [Google](http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2005/05/11/google-aquires-my-life/?ref=chrismessina.me) and [Yahoo](http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/01/12/hullavu-birthday-eh-matt/?ref=chrismessina.me) for my soul. Microsoft is trying to catch up, but remains mostly irrelevant. Kind of makes you wonder: is there room for the independent in The Acquisition Economy 2.0? ...Especially when you can [buy *just* an employee](http://benmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2006/02/15/google-buys-measure-map-and-gets-jeffrey-veen/?ref=chrismessina.me) and leave his company behind?