Rob Walling

I want to dive into the acquisition because you received a lot of inbound interest that you told me offline, you said you initially ignored it. So it was what, 2021, you start receiving private equity firms that are reaching out. And this is a very common thing. People hit mid six figures, get into the seven figures, and it just happens.

I want to dive into the acquisition because you received a lot of inbound interest that you told me offline, you said you initially ignored it. So it was what, 2021, you start receiving private equity firms that are reaching out. And this is a very common thing. People hit mid six figures, get into the seven figures, and it just happens.

So how are you thinking about and dealing with all that inbound interest?

So how are you thinking about and dealing with all that inbound interest?

Got it. And why not run the company forever and take out profits?

Got it. And why not run the company forever and take out profits?

Yeah, I experienced the same thing. We don't talk about that very much, but that stuff takes a toll on you. I don't know if you got threatened, but I got threatened multiple times with shit where I'm like, do you mean that? This is becoming a safety issue. It's a law of large numbers, right? It's like at a few hundred customers, you kind of know everybody.

Yeah, I experienced the same thing. We don't talk about that very much, but that stuff takes a toll on you. I don't know if you got threatened, but I got threatened multiple times with shit where I'm like, do you mean that? This is becoming a safety issue. It's a law of large numbers, right? It's like at a few hundred customers, you kind of know everybody.

At a thousand users, customers, it becomes a lot. And then we eventually had a free plan, so we had 30,000, 40,000 users at a certain point. It's like you're going to get some mentally unstable, demandy, narcissistic folks and Yeah, I can see it. Everyone sells. Like I say this, everyone sells eventually. I never thought MailChimp would sell and they eventually sold.

At a thousand users, customers, it becomes a lot. And then we eventually had a free plan, so we had 30,000, 40,000 users at a certain point. It's like you're going to get some mentally unstable, demandy, narcissistic folks and Yeah, I can see it. Everyone sells. Like I say this, everyone sells eventually. I never thought MailChimp would sell and they eventually sold.

You know, I mean, really, I had all these examples and they've all sold except for I think Basecamp is probably the one that I think about. So you then, I guess the question then is you start feeling like, all right, I'm burning out. This business is obviously worth a lot of money. But how do you, how did you know when it was time to sell? Because you could have sold it at a millionaire or two.

You know, I mean, really, I had all these examples and they've all sold except for I think Basecamp is probably the one that I think about. So you then, I guess the question then is you start feeling like, all right, I'm burning out. This business is obviously worth a lot of money. But how do you, how did you know when it was time to sell? Because you could have sold it at a millionaire or two.

You know, I mean, it's like, do you just arbitrarily pick a point? What was it like for you?

You know, I mean, it's like, do you just arbitrarily pick a point? What was it like for you?

Right. And let's talk through the sales process because you're one of the few people that I can talk to about how painful this is. And here's, here's the hard part is if you go on social media or you say in this, if I say on this podcast, Oh, it was so stressful. It was really stressful. No, trust me. It's really stressful. People say, I'm sure it wasn't that stressful.

Right. And let's talk through the sales process because you're one of the few people that I can talk to about how painful this is. And here's, here's the hard part is if you go on social media or you say in this, if I say on this podcast, Oh, it was so stressful. It was really stressful. No, trust me. It's really stressful. People say, I'm sure it wasn't that stressful.

And also you walked away with money that you never had to work again. So really just deal with it. But it drives people. It can drive people to, to the edge, like to the brink, to the point of not sleeping, to the point of I started having, I won't, hallucinations is not the right word. That would take it too far. But I started making it up in my head that just wasn't true.

And also you walked away with money that you never had to work again. So really just deal with it. But it drives people. It can drive people to, to the edge, like to the brink, to the point of not sleeping, to the point of I started having, I won't, hallucinations is not the right word. That would take it too far. But I started making it up in my head that just wasn't true.

And at a certain point, Sherry, my wife was like, hey, do you know that that's not, you're like in a weird place. You know, you're really fighting with people in a way that's not healthy for you. So for you, you worked with Discretion Capital. Folks on the podcast know A&R runs that and helps as a sell-side advisory for SaaS doing multi-millions. And what was the process like for you?

And at a certain point, Sherry, my wife was like, hey, do you know that that's not, you're like in a weird place. You know, you're really fighting with people in a way that's not healthy for you. So for you, you worked with Discretion Capital. Folks on the podcast know A&R runs that and helps as a sell-side advisory for SaaS doing multi-millions. And what was the process like for you?