Koan Update: “we’re not dead yet”

I’m thrilled to share that the Koan platform has been acquired by OKR market leader Gtmhub. 

The startup journey is a rollercoaster, but this week has been an especially intense ride. Early in the week we announced the sad news that Koan would be shutting down after I wasn’t able to raise a next funding round.

Enter Gtmhub. They’re a team that I’ve gotten to know over time and that I respect deeply. They’re bold innovators, customer-driven, and their product is used by many of the world’s leading companies. There are other products and teams in the space that I also think are great, but I believe that Gtmhub will clearly lead the OKR / alignment space over a short period of time.

When we announced the product shutdown, we started pro-actively recommending Gtmhub as an amazing alternative. As we began working with the Gtmhub team on warm handoffs, we talked, kept talking… and kept talking. Late in the week, they made a super compelling proposition: “what if we acquire Koan to combine what’s uniquely great about your product with all the strengths of Gtmhub?” You might not be surprised to hear that we enthusiastically said yes.

I don’t have all the answers yet, as we’re still hammering out a full plan together. However, we wanted to get the news out as quickly as possible. Here’s what I know it means:

• Koan will not be shutting down in mid-January. Instead, Gtmhub will be fully supporting Koan customers, continuing innovation, and will gradually bring the product experiences together. We hope that you’ll continue to use Koan, but now with the renewed confidence that it’s fully backed by a market leader.
• Koan Pro Edition is free for everyone through the end of 2021, and the Free edition continues after if you’re not a paying subscriber. If you’re on a yearly subscription, you’re also fully supported, and your subscription will be extended for an additional two months for free. Let’s call this a celebration of life for the product, but also a token apology for the whiplash of the week?
  

I end the week feeling intense gratitude for the Koan community and for the fantastic team at Gtmhub. Before this week, our team had already found a new home at a great company (e.g. an acqui-hire). So, there’s a new adventure planned for us soon that’s not about OKRs. Even so, we’re fully committed to working closely with the Gtmhub team to make this a smooth transition over the coming months. 

Learn more: Koan + Gtmhub Update: What this means for customers