Acquisition refers to the process by which one company seeks to own another. It is also a noun referring to the property or business that is being bought. Multiple acquisitions may constitute a portfolio of assets. In the text, Netscape was acquired by AOL, and Opsware was acquired by HP.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is a title conferred on the individual who manages a company. While the president may be the company’s figurehead, the CEO runs the business and is ultimately responsible for all aspects of its performance. Horowitz reflects on his time as the CEO of LoudCloud and Opsware in the book and specializes in advising founder CEOs as a venture capitalist.

This is a generic term referring to businesses that conduct most or all of their activities via the Internet. The name derives from the most common domain name extension (.com). Many e-commerce and online enterprises began as dot-com startups, including Netscape and other companies mentioned in the book.