The Path to Exit
Learn what every technology founder needs to know as they grow their business towards an eventual M&A transaction.
In this podcast, Mike Lyon from Vista Point Advisors chats with tech founders and the VPA team to address questions like:
- What is the process for selling a software or internet business?
- What drives the valuation of a SaaS business?
- What are my different transactions options?
- And more.
Subscribe to listen to new episodes released monthly.
About VPA
Vista Point Advisors is a founder-focused investment bank that advises software & internet founders through M&A and capital raise transactions. We are a fully unconflicted investment bank who only works for founders on the sell-side, so you know that we’re always representing your interests.
If you have any questions about the process of selling your business or raising capital, reach out to a member of our team. Or check out the For Founders section of our site by visiting https://vistapointadvisors.com/for-founders.
Episodes
27 episodes
27 | How to Prepare to Sell Your Company
To make a strong impression on the right buyers and avoid unnecessary complications when selling your business, it’s essential to have everything in order before going to market. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Miles Lacey dis...
•
17:01
26 | GTM Practices for SaaS Growth & Exit Outcomes (with Ryan Allis, SaasRise)
Many SaaS founders struggle with go-to-market (GTM) strategy, often underestimating how it impacts valuation and exit potential. In this episode, growth expert Ryan Allis—Founder of iContact and SaasRise—joins Mike Lyon to break down some key G...
•
20:44
25 | Harnessing AI for Founder-Led Businesses (with Ardis Kadiu, Element451)
AI is transforming vertical SaaS, but many founders are unsure how to approach it. In this episode, Ardis Kadiu—Founder and CEO of Element451, an AI-powered student engagement platform—joins Mike Lyon to share how his team successfully integrat...
•
18:28
24 | The Subjectivity of Valuation in SaaS M&A
Many SaaS founders view valuation as a straightforward calculation of their company's worth, but it’s far more nuanced. Software valuation often depends on the perspectives of individual buyers, leading to significantly different outcomes. In t...
•
17:04
23 | Strategies for Selling Your SaaS Company to a Competitor
Founders are often hesitant to include competitors in the process when looking to sell their business. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Jeff Koons discuss some key strategies for assessing the risks and rewards of including com...
•
27:59
22 | Balancing SaaS Growth: Upselling vs. New Customer Acquisition vs. Pricing
There are three primary vectors SaaS founders use to grow their business: upselling to existing customers, acquiring new customers, and raising prices. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Mike Greco discuss the pros and cons of ea...
•
19:02
21 | How to Structure & Manage a SaaS Board of Directors
SaaS founders often have a love-hate relationship with their boards of directors, finding them alternatively invaluable or frustrating. Creating and managing a cohesive, effective board can be a daunting task. In this episode, Sterling Lanier—r...
•
22:00
20 | Understanding SaaS FinTech & Payments Opportunities with Utopaya
A significant trend SaaS founders are facing is integrating fintech products into vertical businesses, particularly payments. In this episode, Brian Abernethy from Utopaya joins Mike Lyon to discuss considerations for founders thinking about th...
•
21:43
19 | 7 Questions Founders Should Ask PE Firms
Interest from private equity firms can be flattering, but founders need to understand that not every PE firm will be a good fit for your company. Founders need to discover the true dynamics of the fund, particularly when considering the long-te...
•
15:36
18 | 4 Common Milestones That Lead SaaS Founders to Sell Their Business
We typically see four main tipping points for founders when they’re deciding to sell their business or to raise capital. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Jeff Koons discuss what those milestones look like and how founders can d...
•
18:40
17 | Common Legal Diligence Issues Founders Face During M&A Transactions
SaaS founders are often overwhelmed by or underprepared for the legal diligence and purchase agreement negotiation during an M&A transaction. In this episode, Brian Lenihan from Choate, Hall and Stewart LLP joins Mike Lyon to discuss typica...
•
23:38
16 | Generating & Evaluating Interest from PE Firms
SaaS founders typically receive frequent emails and calls from private equity firms and it can be difficult to know which ones are worth responding to, how to respond correctly, or what information to share (or not share) with them. In this epi...
•
14:22
15 | Founder Tax & Estate Planning with Goldman Sachs
It’s easy for founders to put tax and estate planning on the back burner when you're focused on running a business and thinking about a sale, however, getting an early start on these considerations can really make a big impact on how much you t...
•
16:09
14 | 2024 Founder Focus & SaaS M&A Outlook
It’s easy to get swept up in the speculations of an election year, and founder-led SaaS companies will likely wonder how high the stakes are for them and if now is the time to sell. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Jeff Koons d...
•
19:25
13 | How to Avoid Miscalculating Key SaaS Metrics
In Episode 7, we discussed key metrics for selling a SaaS business, but getting data into the correct format to calculate these metrics can be difficult and time consuming. In this episode, Mike Lyon and Ethan Carlson discuss some common issues...
•
14:52
12 | Why You Should Hire an Investment Bank When Selling Your Company
Founders are sometimes tempted to run the process of selling their business themselves in order to save money on a banker fee. In this episode, Mike Lyon and Loson Stockton discuss the advantages of hiring an investment bank that outweigh the f...
•
18:21
11 | Vertical SaaS + Payments: What Founders Need to Know for M&A
A major trend in SaaS has been vertical-specific companies integrating payment processing as a strategy to increase revenue and improve attractiveness in M&A. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Jeff Koons discuss the “FinTech...
•
16:47
10 | The Reason So Many Private Equity Firms Call You
Founders typically hear from about 40 - 60 PE firms and strategic buyers annually who are looking to connect and compare notes. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Jeff Bean discuss why so many PE firms are reaching out, how to id...
•
13:54
9 | SaaS M&A: The State of the Market in 2023 & Beyond
Macro trends in the M&A markets can influence a founder's outcome when looking to execute a deal process. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Mike Greco discuss current trends and their implications in the SaaS M&A markets...
•
16:28
8 | How Hostaway Turned a Crisis into an Opportunity & Thrived During the Pandemic
Founders of Hostaway, Marcus Rader and Saber Kordestanchi, share their experiences of dramatically scaling a vacation rental property management SaaS platform during a worldwide pandemic with very little capital raised, as well as the process o...
•
29:44
7 | Key Metrics for Selling a SaaS Business
The metrics you use (and how you position them in the context of your business) will have a significant effect on the interest you can attract from buyers/investors in a process. In this episode, Mike Lyon and Loson Stockton discuss the top met...
•
31:14
6 | How Service Autopilot Used Content Marketing to Grow Their SaaS Business with Jonathan Pototschnik
Jonathan Pototschnik, founder of Service Autopilot, shares his experience of using content marketing to foster rapid growth in his software business, as well as the journey to eventually selling his company through an investment bank.
•
32:59
5 | Rapid Growth and a Competitive Process with Anthony Showalter of Pear Deck
Anthony Showalter, co-founder of Pear Deck, shares how his team managed the operational challenges of rapid growth and the experience of running a competitive transaction process through an investment bank.
•
23:46
4 | Transaction Options: Minority vs. Majority vs. Full Sale
Different transaction types offer different trade offs in the form of liquidity, control, and upside. In this episode, Mike Lyon and Miles Lacey discuss some of the trade offs and how founders keep their options open during a process.
•
24:32