Homestead: Good Ending for a Good Guy

I first met Justin Kitch soon after he launched Homestead Technologies, way back in the late-1990s. In the midst of the dot-com free-for-all, he and his little Web site hosting company had an unusual and refreshing attitude: They weren't in it for the money. And that wasn't just a facade -- they really weren't. Justin, a Midwesterner, built a homey little niche company with a strong culture and a real attitude about doing the right thing. I admired him for it.

So in the past day, the news came out that he's selling to Intuit for $170 million. What happened? The best place to find out is in Justin's blog entry about it. One brief excerpt:

Ever since I started Homestead in 1997, I have kept two lists. The first list is all the acquisition offers we have received over the years (it's nineteen long, not counting this one). The second list is a "wish list" that contains companies I would actually consider selling our "baby" to; companies that have resonated with me and the Homestead philosophy of doing business over the span of my career (this list has four members). Intuit is on the first list twice and, as you might guess, a member of the illustrious second list.

I am also a Homestead customer, and have been for probably five years. I'm looking forward to Justin's second act.

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