Thomas Jefferson once said that periodic revolution, at least once every 20 years, was a medicine necessary for the sound health of government. This idea can be applied to business as well. When development slows, products stagnate, and staff who built great things leave, mediocrity often creeps in. Companies may issue press releases touting their excitement about bringing their product to new customers and promising that a new suitor will bring valuable resources, but this rarely happens.

It's disappointing when the next generation of entrepreneurs can only achieve success by becoming part of the old guard. Instead of shaking things up, they seem content to simply maintain the status quo. The idea of 'kicking the shit out of' the old guys seems lost in today's business landscape.

Unfortunately, this trend is all too common. More and more great new companies are being absorbed into big established ones, resulting in a loss of innovation and change. Intuit, often considered the poster child of the last generation of entrepreneurs, has become the parent organization of Mint, a leader in the next generation of game-changers.

While Mint's acquisition for $170 million may have been a huge payday for its founders, it's hard to believe that this was their ultimate goal. Mint had achieved significant success on its own terms and had its number; instead, it sold out for a significant sum. The end result is that Intuit, last decade's leader in personal finance, has become the next decade's leader as well.

In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson's words may hold a lesson for business leaders today: periodic revolution can be necessary to ensure continued innovation and progress. Instead of resting on their laurels or becoming part of the establishment, entrepreneurs should strive to create real change and challenge the status quo.

Intuit mint parent organization