Sharks & Mergers, Acquisitions IV: “Marine” Conditions & Tying it Together
19
Jun
By Mike Firmage
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Acquirers, Bootstrapping, M&A Process, Risk, Valuation

Sharks & Mergers, Acquisitions IV: “Marine” Conditions & Tying it Together

Sharks & Mergers, Acquisitions IV: "Marine" Conditions & Tying it Together As I mentioned in three other posts, in the technology ecosystem, it is good for (many) buyers to be active, just as an abundance of sharks signals a healthy marine ecosystem. However, it is still good to guard against “Jaws” and other circumstances that are likely to lead to an "attack" on your M&A outcome as a seller. In addition to the buyer landscape (i.e. sharks), there are a number of other inputs that swimmers (sellers)…
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Sharks, Bora Bora, & Engaging M&A Markets III: “Jaws” vs. Mistaken Identity
02
May
By Mike Firmage
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Acquirers, Bootstrapping, M&A Process, Risk, Valuation

Sharks, Bora Bora, & Engaging M&A Markets III: “Jaws” vs. Mistaken Identity

Sharks, Bora Bora, & Engaging M&A Markets III: "Jaws" vs. Mistaken Identity As I mentioned in two other posts, in the technology ecosystem, it is good for (many) buyers to be active, just as an abundance of sharks signals a healthy marine ecosystem. However, the question remains, does “Jaws” exist, i.e. are there truly dangerous, “company-damaging,” predatory buyers out there? From my experience, the answer is certainly “yes.” However, for each “Jaws” story, the reality is that a Jaws-level acquirer / investor is only involved in a…
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Sharks, Bora Bora, & Engaging M&A Markets II: Types of Sharks (Buyers)
22
Apr
By Mike Firmage
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Acquirers, Bootstrapping, Credibility, M&A Process, Risk, Valuation

Sharks, Bora Bora, & Engaging M&A Markets II: Types of Sharks (Buyers)

Sharks, Bora Bora, & Engaging M&A Markets II: Types of "Sharks" (Buyers) As discussed in my last post, the process of taking a company to market for investment or M&A can be a lot like my experience swimming with sharks.  While it should be safe, that does not mean it won’t be uncomfortable or that preparation / precaution is not important.  At the end of the last post, I introduce a few concepts that I’ll cover in some detail today and in further detail in future posts.…
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Sharks, Bora Bora, & Engaging M&A Markets I: Markets “Speak”
16
Apr
By Mike Firmage
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Acquirers, Bootstrapping, Investors, M&A Process

Sharks, Bora Bora, & Engaging M&A Markets I: Markets “Speak”

Sharks, Bora Bora, & Engaging M&A Markets I: Markets “Speak” In my last post, I introduced some of the most important and foundational KPIs that can be used to support a company’s growth-readiness, particularly during an M&A process.  Today, I am going to start a conversation about engaging M&A markets by covering three ways in which the “market speaks” to entrepreneurs, often indicating that timing is good for a transaction.  I’ll do so by using an analogy from a vacation with my wife a few years back.…
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