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Startup Sale Readiness Assessment
A four-question framework to assess whether you should sell your startup by comparing your current beliefs against your founding assumptions.
How It Works
Entrepreneurs start with strong convictions that change over time. By explicitly comparing current vs. founding beliefs, you can make rational exit decisions rather than emotional ones.
Components
Will this work? (market/product fit assessment)
Will this be big if it works? (market size evaluation)
Can I do this? (capability and resource assessment)
Do I want to do this more than anything else? (motivation check)
When to Use
When considering whether to explore a sale, especially during difficult periods or when receiving acquisition interest.
When Not to Use
During temporary setbacks or when emotions are running extremely high or low.
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Example
“A mobile app founder realizes they still believe the product works and they can execute, but no longer believe the market will be big enough for a meaningful exit, leading them to explore acquisition rather than continue bootstrapping.”
Related Knowledge
Gather comprehensive intelligence on potential acquirers to position your company optimally
Having detailed insights into buyer priorities, pain points, decision makers, and internal dynamics before your first pi
Create comprehensive materials that remove all friction from the buying decision
Buyers can easily understand your value proposition, team, technology, and strategic fit without additional meetings or
Manage multiple potential buyers simultaneously to create leverage and maximize valuation
Multiple term sheets arriving within the same week, allowing you to negotiate better terms by creating competitive tensi
transparency-timing-mistake
Victim vs Responsible Framework
A mental model that distinguishes between taking a victim stance (blaming external circumstances) versus taking complete
Too Hard Pile Decision Making
A decision-making framework where you categorize opportunities into 'obviously good', 'obviously bad', and 'too hard to judge' - then only act on the obviously good ones.