Brian Bowman, founder of Consumer Acquisition, talks about the shocks that impacted his business and led him to sell it. He discusses the challenges faced due to changes in Facebook’s Value Bidding, the impact of COVID-19 on the app business, and Apple’s removal of their tracking ID called IDFA. Brian shares his decision-making process for selling the company and highlights the importance of working with an investment banker during this process. He also emphasizes the need for thorough preparation before putting a business up for sale and offers insights into contract negotiation, describing it as a challenging experience.
The process of finalizing the purchase agreement was complex and required constant communication and iterations between Brain Labs in the UK and the speaker’s team in San Francisco. Both sides were motivated to complete the deal before the end of the year, but it involved an enormous amount of work. The speaker emphasizes the importance and value of hiring a law firm for such transactions, as they provide expertise in foreseeing potential issues and proposing solutions. The lawyers worked tirelessly, acting as litigators and fighting for their client’s interests during tough negotiations. Despite being expensive, their services were considered worthwhile.
The transcript also reveals that while going through this process, the speaker faced personal challenges, including strain on his marriage that required therapy. He experienced exhaustion due to working long hours and pushing himself physically. Eventually, after successfully completing the sale, he suffered a health emergency requiring emergency open heart surgery.
Post-sale life was impacted by external factors like changes at Facebook and Apple affecting business performance. Additionally, health issues led to retirement from work to focus on recovery and personal well-being.
Throughout this journey, Brain Labs demonstrated supportiveness towards their executive team member facing health difficulties by providing assistance when needed.
Retirement was not an easy decision for the speaker because building up the business felt like raising a child. However, knowing that his team was taken care of made it easier to let go.
The speaker reflects on their retirement process and the challenges of starting a new business in a chaotic market. They mention the difficulty of leaving their role as the center of their industry and the belief that founders have in the value of their stock. The speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining personal belief and focus to be successful as an entrepreneur. They compare retiring to losing control, similar to when a child goes off to college. The speaker acknowledges that selling a business can sometimes feel like sacrificing purpose for money. Their advice for founders considering a sale is to approach it with passion and energy while also ensuring someone capable runs the existing business during the process. The speaker shares their positive experience with selling a startup compared to one that failed, expressing gratitude for the opportunity and hoping their insights are helpful.
