Most companies might be disappointed if the major $5.3bn acquisition of their business by a company such as Visa was called off. But for the staff of Plaid, it almost seemed like a cause for celebration.

On 12 January as the news emerged, Plaid employees were seen sharing memes on social media describing their joy at the deal’s demise. “Plaid’s a startup again? Always has been,” said one, while another showed himself lying on the floor with the tongue-in-cheek caption: “Smiling through it all! Can’t believe this is my life.”