Some interesting links we found across the web this week:

Mergers May Mean More Money, But You Can't Put a Price on Freedom
Mergers lead to greater revenue and success for many companies, but can yield more negatives than positives for smaller companies. This Entrepreneur article urges companies to avoid such a pitfall by considering the benefits of remaining independent. One such benefit is the ability of a company to continue to take the necessary risks to do what is most beneficial for the company’s clients without having to be hyperfocused on how to prove quarterly growth to the board of a large parent company. Staying independent may also allow a company to think big and act on creative visions without being tied so tightly to the bottom line or to the pressure and input of shareholders.

As the Term ‘Unicorn’ Goes Broke From Overuse, What’s Actually Rare?
There are so many unicorns in the market today and it is hard to keep track of all of them. This article by TechCrunch calls for a redefinition of the term to focus it on companies that truly are rare because they are highly profitable rather than simply having a high valuation.

Silicon Valley Needs a Few Good CFOs
Silicon Valley is struggling to hire and retain high quality Chief Financial Officers (CFOs). This WSJ article explains the variety of reasons why, including, there simply being a shortage in supply of highly qualified CFOs and many of those who have previously taken a startup past the $1 billion valuation threshold to unicorn status not wanting to do it again. 

Working With Influencers: Advice For Startups
While working with influencers has become a part of the growth strategy of many consumer brands, this way of reaching customers is still quite new and leaves plenty of room for error. This article from Forbes highlights ways to effectively work with influencers. One suggestion is to focus on engagement of an influencer’s followers with the influencer’s posts, rather than simply focusing on the number of followers. Another suggestion is to find people who already love the consumer brand and have influence among their peer group. Finally, the article suggests rewarding an influencer’s performance, rather than paying for a set amount of posts that do not incentivize influencers to use their imagination or creativity.