The dance to your company getting acquired is a bit like the VC dynamic: if an associate (or the 420th a16z partner) "reaches out" because they "love what you're doing" then you're likely never going to get a term sheet Same thing with startup M&A: If the Corp Dev guy reaches out, he or she is kicking the tires because they need to justify their salary and look busy, but your startup sale is never going to close (even if you get a term sheet)