Whether, when, and how to take a family or individually owned company public are decisions that have faced a great many entrepreneurs. They have taken actions that have brought happiness and fulfillment to some and unhappiness to others. Perhaps people who are presently reflecting on such dilemmas can draw some useful thoughts from a study of one string of decisions. My aim here is to touch on what prompted my own decisions and what results flowed from them.
A version of this article appeared in the September 1977 issue of Harvard Business Review.