The Bootstrapped Founder

238: Brian Sierakowski — Leading an Acquired Business

Aug 2, 2023

01:06:48

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Brian Sierakowski, CEO of Bearmetrics after acquisition, shares challenges faced, making business more sellable, canceling subscriptions, managing expectations, career transitions, and running a business during uncertain times.

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Quick takeaways

Stepping into a leadership position in an acquired business comes with unique challenges of building trust and navigating existing team dynamics.

Making improvements and changes to an acquired business, such as pricing, marketing, sales, and product development, requires careful consideration and analysis.

Effective communication and managing perceptions are crucial in avoiding misunderstandings and addressing customer concerns, especially when it comes to subscription cancellations.

Deep dives

Experience of taking over an acquired business

Brian Zerakowski talks about his experience as the CEO of Permetrics, a bootstrap company that was acquired by a private equity firm. He discusses the challenges of building trust with the existing team and handling intense situations, such as economic downturns. He shares insights on how acquired businesses are run and how to make them more sellable. He also mentions the judgmental nature of the founder community.

Introduction

5min

Challenges and Pressures of Leading an Acquired Business

19min

Running a Business: No-Fuss vs Hands-on Approach

26min

Challenges and Opportunities in Business during Uncertain Times

2min

Exploring New Fields and Problem Areas for Business Solutions

5min

The Power of Focus and Intentionality

5min

Helping Others and Improving Businesses

2min

Gratitude, Acquiring Businesses, and Support

2min

Ever found yourself stepping into a role that you never expected you'd be in? That’s what my guest, Brian Sierakowski, did when he took over as CEO of Bearmetrics, a company that he had not founded, but was handed over to him after an acquisition by a private equity firm. Entering an existing team, dealing with the weight of expectations, and managing an already functioning business with its own culture and values, Brian's journey is a roller coaster of challenges and learnings that he’s eager to share with you today.

Brian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bsierakowski/

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/brian-sierakowski-leading-an-acquired-business/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/2ec803d1

The video: https://youtu.be/XWjC4w_cD7g

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com