Readit News(a) Return the investors money? (b) Compensate the founders for the opportunity cost of their time?
If so, then the acquiring company valued the startup as being worth more than the resources that went into it, so the startup created value.
With most acquihires, I think the answer to both (a) and (b) is "no", so it's not fair to call the startup a success.
There are other considerations - the value the startup created for customers, the enjoyment of the founders, the treatment of the startup employees, and so forth. But if you burnt investor money and / or didn't make back the cost of your time, it's hard to call it a success.
Why do I read HN? Mostly, because I like and enjoy working in the technology space (defined broadly) and hope to build a career in tech. HN is great at giving me a view over the other side of the fence.
1. Poor executive leadership. 2. Poor executive leadership. 3. Poor executive leadership.
When you breed a culture of fear and silence this will always be the result. It's the CEO who says, "I'm not surrounded with people who say 'Yes' to me. I'm surrounded with people who share my vision." The CEO, after having replaced, removed, and reassigned anyone who is willing to call into question a decision made by the CEO, will make decisions without any real feedback from their executive team (an echo chamber).
The alternative?[0] The CEO who lets and encourages everyone to speak their mind. The CEO who rewards those with differing opinions and seeks truth by asking "Why?" instead of shutting down dissent. The CEO who actively seeks out executive leadership that will challenge them to justify their decisions and to keep a written record of those decisions.
[0]https://www.ted.com/talks/ray_dalio_how_to_build_a_company_w...
The reality is that strategy consultants sell services targeted at senior management at large corporations, a category that ~0% of Hacker News falls into.