Built to Sell Radio

In this week’s episode of Built to Sell Radio, John Warrillow interviews Michael Lynch, the creator of TinyPilot, a hardware device that allows users to remotely control their computers without installing any software.   Like most small companies, TinyPilot was a Main Street business with around $1 million in revenue and roughly $250,000 in profit, so Michael’s story is a revealing snapshot of a typical exit for the majority of small businesses

In this week’s episode of Built to Sell Radio, John Warrillow interviews Kiri Masters, founder of Bobsled Marketing. Kiri’s marketing agency specialized in helping companies merchandise their products on sites like Amazon.com and Walmart.com.  Kiri successfully transformed a significant social media following into a valuable company.

David Sinkinson, co-founder of AppArmor, shares insights on bootstrapping their campus security app to a $40M exit. Topics include near negotiation disaster, evolving business model, sibling partnership challenges, and navigating M&A negotiations with strategic advantages.

Have you considered the psychological toll of building your business?     In this week’s Built to Sell Radio episode, John Warrillow sits down with Bill Hudenko, a psychologist, Dartmouth professor, and serial entrepreneur, to discuss the psychological impact of building and exiting a business. Bill shares his personal journey through multiple exits and offers insights into the mental health challenges that come with selling your life’s work.     As someone who has experienced these challenges firsthand, and as a professional with access to extensive data, Bill provides practical advice on how to avoid the common mental health pitfalls associated with selling your business.  

Renowned expert Tom Deans shares insights on selling a family business, highlighting challenges in transitioning control and passing on values. He discusses covert narcissism in family businesses and stresses the importance of focusing on value creation for successful succession planning.

This week on Built to Sell Radio, we feature Connor Tomkies, founder of Support Ninja, who shares his story of transforming an outsourcing firm into an industry leader. Support Ninja provides outsourced customer support services, handling tasks such as customer experience, social media management, and technical support.  

Ilya Strebulaev, a leading expert on venture capital, discusses the venture capitalist mindset and decision-making strategies. Topics include the dynamics of bidding and winning, evaluating investments with a red flag approach, and distinguishing venture capital from private equity. He also explores navigating venture capital decision-making and strategic valuation considerations for investments.

Fearless entrepreneur Anne Mahlum shares her journey of redefining the fitness industry with [solidcore], selling for $100M. Topics include leadership transitions, fundraising, custom machine manufacturing, navigating financial challenges, employee rewards, and preparing for a successful exit strategy.

Author and sales expert Matt Dixon discusses overcoming the Rainmaker Syndrome in sales, emphasizing 'The Activator Way' approach for business development and collaboration. Topics include challenges of scaling with star performers, crafting a compelling value proposition, navigating sales challenges, and the value of being an activator in client relationships.

Kevin O'Connor, founder of DoubleClick, shares insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the $3.1B Google acquisition. Topics include hiring smart individuals, navigating misconceptions, scaling up challenges, preferred shares, and the importance of humility in business ventures.