Local Tech Companies Look Enticing

By Matt Wood in News on Jan 11, 2007 2:53PM

We're a little late on this, but this month's Wired print version named two Chicago companies as top "acquisition bait." RSS provider FeedBurner and software shop 37signals clocked in at #8 and #9 respectively (and we're guessing that order is arbitrary).

Chicagoist is an enthusiastic user of both companies' products (disclaimer: our editor Rachelle works for FeedBurner), so the thought of them being acquired, while purely speculation, presents a conundrum. On one hand, we'd worry that the tools we love could suffer in quality if they get assimilated into a larger portfolio and perhaps neglected; on the other hand, the infusion of cash and resources could push them to the next level. Either way, if one of those places does get swallowed whole by a Google, Yahoo, or Microsoft, it's a bonanza for their employees. In that case, the last name is "Wood" with no S, as in Kerry, not Tiger. Is morning or afternoon a better time to call and discuss the new position?