Our story
In 2006, we founded MetaLab, one of the world's top product agencies. Along the way, a bunch of people tried to buy us and we wasted years of our lives talking to private equity firms and holding companies.
We didn't want to sell out. We loved the business. We just wanted some chips off the table and to have a helpful partner at the table. The numbers were exciting, but it never felt right.
Once we got the final terms, we always realized that:
1
Our lives would get worse with a huge earnout and new corporate overlords.
2
The company we'd worked hard to build would be amalgamated into some larger organization.
3
Our culture would be messed up by bureaucracy and amalgamation.
4
Our business probably wouldn't exist in 10 years because it would be chopped up, amalgamated, resold, or rebranded.
5
We never felt like any of the buyers understood our business. They looked at it like a spreadsheet. Their backgrounds were Wall Street and they didn't know anything about running a creative business.
We were too attached to our company to let any of that happen, so we always blew up the deals at the last minute.
After years of talking to other frustrated agency owners going through the same thing, we got fed up and said "screw it, we'll do it ourselves". We decided to create a holding company that was by founders, for founders. That allowed them to de-risk and take some chips off the table and diversify, without selling their soul and pissing off their team.
We called it Meta. A long-term home for the world's best digital agencies. If you think you're a fit, we'd love to have you.
Andrew Wilkinson
Co-founder
Dear Founders,
In 2006, we founded
MetaLab, one of the world's top product design agencies. Along the way, a bunch of people tried to buy us and we wasted years of our lives talking to big tech companies, private equity firms and holding companies.
We didn't want to sell out. We loved the business, but we liked the idea of taking chips off the table.
The numbers were exciting, but it never felt right.
Once we got the final terms, we always realized that:
1. Our lives would get worse, toiling to hit a crazy earnout for corporate overlords.
2. Our company would be amalgamated into some larger organization.
3. Our culture would be ruined by bureaucracy.
4. Our brand would be lost to a future amalgamation or sale.
Most importantly, we never felt cultural alignment. The people we talked to always had Wall Street backgrounds and looked at our business like a spreadsheet. They didn't know the first thing about running a creative team.
We were too attached to our company to let any of that happen, so we always blew up the deals at the last minute.
After years of talking to other frustrated agency owners going through the same thing, we got fed up and said "screw it, we'll do it ourselves".
We decided to create a holding company that was by founders, for founders. That allowed them to de-risk and diversify, without selling their soul and pissing off their team.
We called it Meta. A long-term home for the world's best digital agencies.
If you think you're a fit, we'd love to have you.
Andrew Wilkinson
Co-founder
Our story
In 2006, we founded MetaLab, one of the world's top product agencies. Along the way, a bunch of people tried to buy us and we wasted years of our lives talking to private equity firms and holding companies.
We didn't want to sell out. We loved the business. We just wanted some chips off the table and to have a helpful partner at the table. The numbers were exciting, but it never felt right.
Once we got the final terms, we always realized that:
1
Our lives would get worse with a huge earnout and new corporate overlords.
2
The company we'd worked hard to build would be amalgamated into some larger organization.
3
Our culture would be messed up by bureaucracy and amalgamation.
4
Our business probably wouldn't exist in 10 years because it would be chopped up, amalgamated, resold, or rebranded.
5
We never felt like any of the buyers understood our business. They looked at it like a spreadsheet. Their backgrounds were Wall Street and they didn't know anything about running a creative business.
We were too attached to our company to let any of that happen, so we always blew up the deals at the last minute.
After years of talking to other frustrated agency owners going through the same thing, we got fed up and said "screw it, we'll do it ourselves". We decided to create a holding company that was by founders, for founders. That allowed them to de-risk and take some chips off the table and diversify, without selling their soul and pissing off their team.
We called it Meta. A long-term home for the world's best digital agencies. If you think you're a fit, we'd love to have you.
Andrew Wilkinson
Co-founder
Our story
In 2006, we founded MetaLab, one of the world's top product agencies. Along the way, a bunch of people tried to buy us and we wasted years of our lives talking to private equity firms and holding companies.
We didn't want to sell out. We loved the business. We just wanted some chips off the table and to have a helpful partner at the table. The numbers were exciting, but it never felt right.
Once we got the final terms, we always realized that:
1
Our lives would get worse with a huge earnout and new corporate overlords.
2
The company we'd worked hard to build would be amalgamated into some larger organization.
3
Our culture would be messed up by bureaucracy and amalgamation.
4
Our business probably wouldn't exist in 10 years because it would be chopped up, amalgamated, resold, or rebranded.
5
We never felt like any of the buyers understood our business. They looked at it like a spreadsheet. Their backgrounds were Wall Street and they didn't know anything about running a creative business.
We were too attached to our company to let any of that happen, so we always blew up the deals at the last minute.
After years of talking to other frustrated agency owners going through the same thing, we got fed up and said "screw it, we'll do it ourselves". We decided to create a holding company that was by founders, for founders. That allowed them to de-risk and take some chips off the table and diversify, without selling their soul and pissing off their team.
We called it Meta. A long-term home for the world's best digital agencies. If you think you're a fit, we'd love to have you.
Andrew Wilkinson
Co-founder
