Learning all about startup exit strategies at our Live event

For many startups, exiting is one of the most important but ambiguous goals to achieve. Exits are important because these events allow founders to deliver their promises to their investors. In the competitive and cut-throat startup market, however, we all know that getting there is no easy feat.

In our previous Tech in Asia Live session, we had an insightful chat with Singlife founder and CEO Walter de Oude, who led a successful US$2.3 billion merger deal with Aviva Singapore in the midst of a pandemic.

Last Monday, as part of our Like a Guru series, we dove deeper into the topic of exiting through our workshop “The roadmap to Exit”, where we hosted Sansa Advisors partner Mark Strecker. Having successfully built and sold three companies, Strecker had a ton of invaluable advice for fellow startup founders.

The interactive session was exclusively designed for our amazing Tech in Asia Live and Core subscribers and is part of our latest lineup of training-based events aimed at enhancing one’s career and personal skills with the help of industry experts.

It was an eventful evening as our attendees received first-hand advice from an experienced entrepreneur like Strecker and got to personally ask him their burning questions. They also took home an exclusive worksheet specially created to guide them in setting up exit plans for their own startups. Talk about getting a bang for your buck!

Session overview

Strecker kicked off the session by breaking down the roadmap to exit into three main phases: getting ready, finding and doing the deal, and conducting post-deal planning. According to Stecker, a lot of startup founders don’t spend enough time getting ready for an exit, but it’s actually “the secret to getting the deal done” particularly as a startup.

Elaborating on his point, the entrepreneur provided five key elements founders need to evaluate themselves by when preparing for an exit, including market leadership, proven metrics, and having the house in order. Putting all of these in place sets the stage for a successful exit strategy. After all, no one wants to take over a company that’s in a mess, would they?

When selling their companies, founders also need to stand in the shoes of a buyer, position their firms strategically, and tailor their value propositions, said Strecker. Our attendees got a good idea on how to do this after learning the main things that different buyers look out for when evaluating companies to acquire.

With 90% of startup exits being done through some form of merger and acquisition, Strecker walked our workshop participants through the types of buyers that they may meet in the process of preparing for an exit.

Attendees also discovered that certainty and focus are what matter the most when it comes to inking the deal. Believe it or not, the timing and team involved in executing an exit can make or break an agreement. As Strecker puts it, “preparation is everything.”

The last 30 minutes of the workshop were spent answering the attendees’ questions. Some of the most interesting ones were:

• Is it possible to reward my long-term employees with the money that I get from my exit? If so, what is the best way to manage it?
• When it comes to ”acqu-hires,” how do buyers usually value the team?
• For startup leaders who are looking to exit, what should they expect during the lockup period?

Through this workshop, our subscribers got a head start and an inside scoop on preparing their own startups for a future exit. Although there is so much that goes into the endeavor, being well-prepared will certainly make the process easier!

Catch up on the full session

To ensure that our audience got the maximum value out of their subscription, the workshop was crafted with quality content, valuable business lessons, a practical working template, and the chance to get acquainted with fellow founders from the region.

If you want to be part of the gang, simply subscribe to Tech in Asia Live at just US$4.92 per month. As a subscriber, you can also watch the full session on exit strategies here.