Made It with Connor Tomkies Protect Yourself During M&A with Thunder's Jason Kirby
Jason Kirby shares hard-earned wisdom with Connor, from exiting his company to Walmart, after a failed acquisition by Samsung. Jason explains key lessons for founders in the acquisition process, like getting your own legal counsel and maintaining multiple options. He also details his new venture Thunder, an investment bank aiming to provide founders with the M&A and fundraising guidance he wished he had.
The two discuss the rise of eSports in schools, navigating the stresses of being an acquisition target while running a company, and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right advisors.
Subscribe for more behind-the-scenes insights on entrepreneurship and life after an exit. Check out the links to connect with Jason and access Thunder's free investor matching tool for founders.
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introducing Jason Kirby
00:02:30 - What Thunder Offers to Founders
00:04:55 - The Challenges of Raising Capital
00:07:56 - Building Thunder
00:13:13 - Bringing eSports to Schools
00:22:49 - The Rollercoaster of Selling Liquid Sky
00:29:12 - Picking Up the Pieces
00:32:07 - Maintaining Optionality
00:34:53 - Hard Lessons Learned from M&A
00:41:57 - The Rise of Solo GP
00:45:32 - Wrapping Up
Jason Kirby's Stuff
Website: https://web.thunder.vc/
X: https://x.com/JasonKirby
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/
My Stuff
Podcast: MadeItPod.com
Website: https://www.connortomkies.com/