Anti-establishment startups becoming their parents are instances of a very common pattern.
Gods murder their primordial parents. Republicans overthrow kings and crown a Napoleon. The liberator-opressor complex litters history.
The first step is to notice the cliche and expect it. The phenomenon exists. Next step, tread lightly. Any reason you think up is too specific. Your reason why Microsoft became IBM under Ballmer does not explain why Cronus castrated Uranus or why he wanted to eat baby Zeus.
That said... I think "you are what you eat" is inescapable long term. Wikipedia would not have been wikipedia if it had been a startup, IPOed, etc. If you are a giant software company deeply embedded into locked in customers across all industries... you will have IBM-ish tendencies. Ballmer is Thanos, inevitable.
Gods murder their primordial parents. Republicans overthrow kings and crown a Napoleon. The liberator-opressor complex litters history.
The first step is to notice the cliche and expect it. The phenomenon exists. Next step, tread lightly. Any reason you think up is too specific. Your reason why Microsoft became IBM under Ballmer does not explain why Cronus castrated Uranus or why he wanted to eat baby Zeus.
That said... I think "you are what you eat" is inescapable long term. Wikipedia would not have been wikipedia if it had been a startup, IPOed, etc. If you are a giant software company deeply embedded into locked in customers across all industries... you will have IBM-ish tendencies. Ballmer is Thanos, inevitable.