Selling Your Baby

Everyone thinks their baby is special.

They’re the best, because you’ve been there for every milestone, every growth spurt, every scraped knee.

But here’s the thing: just because you know they’re special, doesn’t mean anyone else does.

Your company is your baby. You’ve nurtured it from the first idea scribbled on a napkin to what it is today. And when it comes time to sell, you’ll be tempted to think it’s worth more than anyone can see.

After facilitating over 20 transactions through CannAcquire (and in over 250 deals), facilitated capital raises, exits for SKVenture portfolio companies, & taking a comapny public, I’ve seen what happens when emotion clashes with reality.

If you're thinking about selling your baby, here's what you need to know.

⏲️ Estimated read time 7 minutes.

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1. Make Your Baby Good, And Know What the Buyer is Looking For

Most founders are too close to their business to see it clearly. Founders often lead with passion instead of performance and in turn over value their company.

Buyers and investors aren’t swayed by love stories. They want to see capability.

Your job is twofold: make your company actually great, and frame it through the buyer’s lens. That means:

• Healthy fundamentals (revenue, margin, retention)

• Real traction, not just potential

• Clear positioning within your market or category

• Consistent performance and recognizable timelines

Then, you need to understand the person on the other side of the table:

• What are they trying to solve by buying you?

• What do they care about, cash flow, customer base, IP, team?

• Who’s on their buy team, and how do they make decisions? What have they bought before?

You can’t just explain why your company is great. You have to explain why it’s great for them.

That only happens when you know your strengths and know what your buyer wants to hear. If you want someone else to value your baby, you have to speak their language, and prove your value with real evidence.

2. Understand Your Value (and Defend It)

A common reason deals fall apart is a disconnect between what the founder thinks their company is worth and what the buyer is willing to pay. One side sees years of sacrifice. The other sees a spreadsheet.

If you want to close a deal, you need to know how to defend your valuation, objectively, not emotionally.

This starts with:

• Comps: What have similar companies sold for?

• Metrics: What does your data room say about performance, risk, and upside?

• Trend analysis: What’s your trajectory? Are you consistently improving, or just having a good year?

Saying your baby went to university means nothing unless you can show the grades, the part-time job, the challenges they’ve overcome. Valuation isn’t just about a number, it’s about how confidently and clearly you can back it up.

3. Know What You Want

The last piece is personal: What are you willing to accept?

Not every deal is about the highest number. Sometimes it’s about terms, timing, and trust.

You need to define your non-negotiables before you ever start talking to buyers:

• Do you want cash up front, or are you open to an earnout or equity?

• How long are you willing to stay involved?

• Do you want to walk away cleanly, or stay on for the next chapter?

For example, many older founders want a clean exit. They don’t want three years of earn outs or a stock package tied to someone else’s decisions. Others might prefer to roll equity and bet on long-term upside.

The key is removing ego from the equation. Stick to logic. Know what a win looks like for you, so you don’t walk away from a good deal, or sleepwalk into a bad one.

Polaris Perspective:

If you're thinking about selling your company, step back and get clear:
You’ve built something good, prove it, know what it’s worth, know what you want.

The market rewards clarity and preparation.

Regardless of what industry you're in. 

If you're curious to understand how data room templates can help you evaluate your business, as well as better understanding of what kind of deal structures exist in today's world, or if you're looking to just understand a little bit more about purchasing, feel free to reach out. I might be able to help!  (Reply to this email or reach out on Linkedin)

Events you need to attend

CONBODY 5K PRISON BREAK RACE

🏃‍♀️ CONBODY 5K PRISON BREAK
📆 Saturday, May 10 @ 10 AM
📌  LES → Williamsburg Bridge → LES

Break free. Push your limits. Change the system.

Join them for The Prison Break, a 5K street-style run across the Williamsburg Bridge and back through the streets of the Lower East Side. This high-energy race includes 3 Bootcamp workout stops led by your favorite CONBODY trainers—because this isn't just a run, it's a movement.

BONUS, The top 3 male & female finishers will win:

• 1 month of FREE unlimited CONBODY classes

• Exclusive CONBODY swag — just in time for summer

All proceeds support CONBODY’s mission to empower formerly incarcerated individuals and fight for prison reform. Do the time. Earn your freedom. Run with purpose.

Tickets HERE

3rd Annual NY Tech Week Soccer Championship #NYTechWeek

Come join the NYC Tech Eco-system for the 3rd Annual NYC Tech Week Soccer Championship! ​Put on by Pitch on the Pitch and kick off FC, This game is open to ALL skill levels of soccer, but limited only to those operating as a Founder, VC, Operator, or Partner in the Tech NYC Ecosystem.

RSVP HERE

🧘 Longevity - Creatine Pt. 2

In a recent clip, Rory McIlroy mentions to Scottie Scheffler (The two best golfers in the world) drops that he takes 10 grams of creatine before his workouts and another 10 grams later in the day. Mainly for focus, recovery, and sustained performance.

When elite athletes are optimizing for mental sharpness as much as physical strength, it’s worth asking, what should founders, executives, and decision-makers be doing to stay sharp?

Here’s what I’ve found since adding creatine to my own routine:

• Cognitive Function Boost - It’s been linked to improved memory and intelligence, particularly under pressure or during sleep deprivation (Study)

• Sustained Energy – Creatine helps regenerate ATP, the fuel your brain and body run on during high-load days 

• Less Fatigue - There’s evidence that it reduces mental tiredness during prolonged cognitive effort (PubMed).

It’s no longer just for the gym. Creatine is becoming a tool for strategic endurance, for staying alert, focused, and calm through long meetings, hard decisions, and tough days.

This is not medical advice

Have you enjoyed this newsletter? Is it providing value? Do you know somebody that would find it useful? Send them this newsletter and if you refer 5 people your next coffee run will be on me. (3 referrals = $15 Starbucks)

As the world becomes more complex, it becomes more and more challenging to stay grounded, focused and aligned. Stay ahead by fostering unity, innovation, and trust across your teams and yourself. Don’t miss out on upcoming events and insights that will help shape your success in the months to come.

- SKV