November 1, 2026
The European Business Review recently published an article featuring Florian Ederer, Allen and Kelli Questrom Professor in Markets, Public Policy & Law, discussing how technology companies can protect their products and users from acquisitions that prioritize short-term monetization over long-term product development.
The article explores the growing trend of technology companies acquiring established apps and platforms, sometimes changing pricing, services, and user experiences in ways that erode consumer trust. Ederer discusses how founders can use alternative ownership structures to make their companies difficult or impossible to acquire, protecting their long-term commitments to users.
Ederer describes these protections as a credible commitment against future exploitation, noting that a founder invested in growing a product has different incentives than “a new owner with a shorter horizon has every reason to monetize the switching costs those users already face.”
The article highlights the trade-offs of building un-acquirable businesses, including reduced access to venture capital and fewer opportunities for founders to exit, while examining how alternative ownership models can help preserve user trust and long-term product independence.
