Russ Heddleston, Co-founder & former CEO, DocSend
Every owner loves their business. This makes selling their company even harder than it already is. But aside from the emotional turmoil that founders go through every exit, there are also a lot of intricacies included in the process.
In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Russ Heddleston, Co-founder & former CEO of DocSend, discusses the challenges of sell-side M&A.
Things you will also learn in this episode:
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Considerations in Potentially Selling a Startup
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Challenges of sell-side M&A
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Key Factors for a Successful Exit
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How to manage diligence in sell-side M&A
Episode Bookmarks
00:00 Intro
04:10 Starting DocSend
06:08 Identifying the Inflection Point to sell
09:01 Selling a Startup
10:46 Considerations in Potentially Selling a Startup
14:28 Best Time for an Exit
16:00 Balancing Stakeholder Interests in an Acquisition
17:50 Relationship Management in an Acquisition
19:46 How Relationships Influence Negotiations
20:41 Relationships with Bankers
23:14 Reaching out to DropBox
26:16 Key Factors for a Successful Exit
28:04 Impact of Market Conditions on M&A
28:45 The Unknowns of Selling a Business
30:53 Post-Acquisition Challenges and Unknowns
32:34 Enhancing Preparation for Post-Close Integration
34:05 Tips for Buyers for Smoother Integration
35:18 Challenges of Sell-side M&A
37:15 Efficiently Managing Diligence
38:46 People involved from pre-LOI to Close
41:36 Post-Acquisition Team Dynamics
43:01 Evaluating Alternatives to Selling
48:28 Fundraising Strategies to Minimize Dilution
49:44 Advice for Acquirers Seeking Successful Acquisitions
51:29 Effective Strategies for Corporate Leaders to Engage with Founders
53:14 Craziest thing in M&A
This episode is sponsored by FirmRoom, the fastest virtual data room used to get deals done. Leave the pay-per-page world behind by going to https://firmroom.com/
