We saw how the game is played.
Then we decided which side we wanted to be on.
What we learned in two weeks
In the course of two weeks, we met with the managing partners at some of the world's largest private equity firms. Combined AUM north of $100 billion.
They showed us everything.
How they identify businesses worth more than the owner realizes. How they approach owners who've never had a real valuation. How they structure "friendly" offers that look reasonable on the surface.
They've gotten very, very wealthy doing this.
At the end of those meetings, every single one of them offered us stakes to help them access the owner-operator market. To be the friendly face. To bring them deal flow.
We said no.
Not because they were doing anything illegal. They weren't. The game is just rigged—and we didn't want to be part of that side of it anymore.
Here's what those meetings taught us.
Buyers aren't smarter than you. They're not working harder. They just have information you don't.
They have frameworks for evaluating businesses. Models for pricing risk. Systems for identifying value that owners can't see in their own companies.
They know exactly what they're buying—and exactly what they're willing to pay. The gap between what they know and what you know is where fortunes disappear.
ExitReady exists to close that gap.
To give owners the same analysis buyers run. The same frameworks. The same view of what a business is actually worth—and why.
Both sides of the table
We've sat in the rooms where investment decisions get made. Ran diligence on hundreds of companies. Seen what makes buyers say yes—and what makes them walk.
- Due diligence on 200+ companies
- Investment committee presentations
- Term sheet negotiations
- Post-acquisition integration
We've been principal shareholders in businesses with tens of millions in revenue. Built the systems. Managed the teams. Lived the reality of owner-operated business.
- P&L ownership and accountability
- Team building and management
- Operational systems development
- Exit preparation and execution
Why ExitReady exists
We've sat in the room where deals die.
Watched founders lose millions because their financials couldn't survive diligence. Seen key employees walk because there was no equity structure. Watched buyers discount offers because the story couldn't be proven.
Every time, the same pattern: the owner didn't know what they had. They couldn't see what buyers saw. They couldn't tell the story that would have changed the outcome.
ExitReady exists because that shouldn't happen. Owners who build valuable businesses should get paid what they're worth. Not because they got lucky with timing or found the right buyer by accident—but because they knew their number, built their value, and positioned for the outcome they wanted.
Exit-ready doesn't mean you're leaving. It means you could—tomorrow—if you wanted to.
That's freedom. That's options. That's what we help you build.
What we commit to.
Truth over comfort
We tell you what's real, not what you want to hear. If there are problems, we name them. If the number is lower than you hoped, we explain why—and what to do about it.
Your timeline, not ours
We get paid for the work, not the close. We have no incentive to push you toward a deal you don't want. Exit when you're ready—or don't exit at all.
Value before payment
The 409A valuation is free for qualified owners. You see your number and understand your options before you pay anything. If it's not valuable, you owe us nothing.