My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
“birds fly fish swim and deals fall through”
What It Means
Deal failure is as natural and expected as birds flying or fish swimming - it's what deals do
Why It Matters
Prevents emotional devastation when deals collapse and maintains perspective throughout the process
When It's True
Throughout any M&A process, from initial interest through signed agreements
When It's Risky
When it leads to not putting in full effort because 'deals fall through anyway'
How to Apply
Set expectations with co-founders and advisors
Always maintain backup options
Don't celebrate until money hits the bank
Example Scenario
“After a term sheet signing, technical due diligence reveals integration challenges and the deal falls apart, but the founder had maintained relationships with two other potential buyers.”
Related Knowledge
all businesses are Loosely functioning disasters some just happen to make money
Every business has significant operational dysfunction - success comes from making money despite the chaos, not from per
Four Buyer Categories Framework
A systematic way to categorize potential acquirers into four distinct types based on their acquisition motivations and strategic needs.
DENNIS System for M&A
A systematic 6-step approach to selling your company, adapted from the comedy show Always Sunny in Philadelphia's 'DENNIS System' for dating.
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.
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