The correct answer is The timing of Google's IPO was much better as investor confidence was higher
The IPO is basically the company's IPO. This means that, for the first time, it will be distributing shares on a stock exchange, allowing shareholders to acquire considerable shares of the company.
Thus, it ceases to belong to a single owner (or group) and begins to have shareholders, that is, anonymous people who own a very small part of the company.
Large publicly traded companies often have advice from shareholders, or partners, that consist of the company's largest investors, and can play an important role in decision-making as an indication of executives and other corporate policies. If the company is doing poorly, it is the shareholders that the CEO needs to respond to. However, many smaller companies prefer to maintain their structure in the same way as always, and the fact that having shareholders often does not influence decision making that much, despite increasing pressure on the board of directors.
