Irv Grossbeck

But they were people who really cared about trying to help

kevin and jim build a good company they weren't all about themselves and their backgrounds and oh i've seen this before and there was no conversation like that it was all people just trying to pitch in and help

I have a general recollection that there were different points of view based on the backgrounds of the individuals.

We all tend to speak from where we've been to some degree.

I mean, I think part of the art of advice is trying to get outside that frame of reference and listen and think about things and be helpful to people irrespective of where you've been.

I don't mean to pontificate, but I do think that's helpful to people.

But I didn't do that.

I spoke from where I'd been, and Joel Peterson was an advocate for where he'd been.

So he's a world-class person with an unbelievably successful track record.

in a transactional business which was real estate his position as i remember it was wow somebody's offering you was it 75 or 100 million dollars you're really just kind of getting started and somebody thinks you've got something here sell take your profits you'll have investors for life

The world will be your oyster.

You'll be investable as entrepreneurs.

You'll have plenty of other opportunities.

And my point of view was different, which was I wasn't saying you shouldn't sell.

I was saying that the way I would make the decision is to think about what the runway was for you and the business ahead.

and what the risks were of that path, and make a conscious decision as to whether you want to stay on that runway and path for the foreseeable future or not.

And if you see the opportunity, there's tremendous advantage in accrual of value and opportunity.

If you see your way clear, it's not going to be that easy to find another venture and you'll pay tax and have less to invest and so forth.

So I guess I was subtly in favor of, but not strongly in favor.

I was just in favor of analyzing the situation and not just taking a price that would have been an amazing return, although over a very short period of time.