690: (Solo) The Truth About Selling Your Business (From Someone Who Said No)
The Foundr Podcast with Nathan ChanShow Notes
At some point, if you are building a DTC brand and getting traction, someone is going to reach out. An aggregator, a private equity firm, a bigger competitor. And most founders have no idea what to do when that happens because nobody ever walks you through it.
Here is the thing: that cold email landing in your inbox is not random. There are analysts sitting in offices right now scraping the internet for fast growing Shopify stores, looking for founders who might be ready to tap out. And they are hoping they caught you on a bad day.
In this episode, I walk through everything I have learned about acquisition conversations, from the first time someone tried to buy Foundr twelve months in, to the advice I gave a close friend that led to a life changing exit after fifteen years of building.
Here's what you'll take away:
Why you always take the call, even if you are nowhere near ready to sell, and what you can learn from it
Why the worst time to sell is when you are desperate and the best time is when everything is working
The questions to ask in any acquisition conversation that will teach you more about your own business than years of operating alone
How to hold your cards close without shutting the conversation down entirely
Why businesses are bought not sold, and what that means for how you should be approaching your growth right now
The warning signs that a buyer is trying to get you to sell it in your mind before the deal is done, and what that costs founders who fall for it
If you have ever received one of these emails and did not know whether to reply, delete it, or get excited, this episode will give you a clear framework for handling it the right way.
If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at [email protected] — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.
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