As entrepreneurs and those playing the startup game, we often get so caught up in the headlines and the glam of acquisition that we never stop to think that maybe there is another way. Maybe even the possibility that there could be a downside to acquisition.
We see headlines filling our Twitter timelines daily with another startup being bought for some insane amount of money, and we wonder how we would feel if it happened to us.
As with everything, acquisition has downsides if we are not ready for it or compare ourselves to others. The best advice I have ever received on this topic was from Eric Bahn during this conversation — I think you will feel the same way after listening.
Eric Bahn has been enjoying the two-year sabbatical that has allowed him and his wife to travel the world, but the startup life is calling him back, and he is ready to do it again — the right way this time.
From college dorm to liquidity, Eric has learned a lot from his successes and feels he still has a lot to learn and give.
This conversation with Eric is enlightening and inspiring, and I think it will help a lot of people (myself included) to gain some insider perspective on Life After Liquidity and finding happiness in what you build and possibly eventually sell off.
What you will learn in this episode:
- Small habits are a great mental exercise to stay rigorous and disciplined
- How to stay in touch with your network with this one simple tip
- Why Eric relates finding a new business venture to being in a boot camp and preparing for a live battle
- Why he took a break after selling his startup rather than jumping straight into the next project
- The mistakes Eric made during the sale of his startup — and a regret that he hasn’t shared before today
