My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Most companies are sold, not bought - contrary to the popular wisdom that 'great companies are bought not sold'
The Reasoning
The 'great companies are bought not sold' advice comes from unicorn founders who had inbound interest, but most entrepreneurs don't have that level of traction and need to actively run sales processes
What Needs to Be True
- You don't have overwhelming product-market fit
- You're not the hot company everyone wants
- You need to create your own acquisition opportunities
Counterargument
Some companies do get acquired without trying when they have exceptional traction or strategic assets
What Would Change This View
Data showing most acquisitions under $100M were purely inbound without any outbound effort
Implications for Builders
Don't wait for buyers to come to you
Learn sales skills even as a technical founder
Build relationships with potential acquirers early
Example Application
“A mobile gaming studio with moderate traction actively reaches out to larger gaming companies rather than waiting for acquisition interest, ultimately selling for 3x what they might have gotten in a distressed situation.”