OK, having just written a little analysis on the deal space, I was feeling pretty prescient about the Groupon IPO delay story that popped up literally hours after my story was published on PYMNTS.com. No, it had nothing to do with Andrew Mason reading my piece and deciding they needed a strategic about face, but, if news reports are true, it is just as interesting. Seems as though Mason has some ‘splaining to do after his internal-but-leaked-to-the-public-memo touting Groupon’s success was made public during what was supposed to be their quiet period. Don’t these guys know that you NEVER put anything in writing that you wouldn’t want on the cover of the NYT (or TechCrunch) and that quiet period really means quiet? I mean, geez. Anyway, it seems as though there is a little command performance being requested down in DC and a possibility that they will need to amend their public filing. Hey, maybe it will turn out OK after all. The market has been in the tank for awhile, and maybe by the time all of this is cleared up, it will be out of the dumper. The Andrew Mason email is actually interesting reading. Check it out when you get a chance.
Related: Groupon Reconsidering IPO Move, Says Source
Karen Webster is the CEO of Market Platform Dynamics (MPD), a consulting firm that helps companies find, implement and monetize innovation. She serves as an advisor and member of the board for a number of companies operating in the payment, technology and digital media industries. More info here.