From Bankruptcy to Multi-Million Dollar Exit with Rob Hunter
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How Much Could You Sell Your Company For?
If a private equity firm or strategic acquirer made an offer to you today, would you take it? Would you know if it's a fair deal? Are you in the position to close a deal?
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From Bankruptcy to Multi-Million Dollar Exit: Rob Hunter Opens Up About the Lessons You Can Learn From Failure
In this episode, Rob Hunter, partner at Speaker Ventures and exited founder, shares his entrepreneurial roller coaster journey. From going bankrupt with his ice cream franchise in his 20s to getting into Y Combinator, raising venture capital, and eventually exiting his tech startup HigherMe. Rob provides insights on navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, making tough decisions like when to step away from the CEO role, and evaluating acquisition offers.
He opens up about the mindset shifts required to bounce back from failure and contrasts his experiences raising VC for HireMe versus his subsequent startup ResetButton, where he quickly raised $2 million on just an idea and PowerPoint deck. Rob also talks about the acquisition process - valuation expectations, legal due diligence, deal structuring with earn-outs and seller notes, and ultimately deciding when an exit makes sense for founders and investors.
Here's what you're in for:
- 02:08 Challenges of scaling a brick-and-mortar business
- 07:08 Lessons from failures
- 32:18 Strategic talks and potential acquisition
- 34:39 Cutting a deal and transitioning the business
- 39:21 Contrasting fundraising experiences
- 46:44 Creativity in deal structures
- 50:04 Realistic expectations and understanding investor preferences
ABOUT ROB HUNTER
Rob Hunter has been an entrepreneur from a young age. By the age of 12, he had an eBay account and was selling Japanese professional wrestling VHS tapes and DVDs to finance his education at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
His success on eBay enabled him to establish a mini-student real estate empire. After graduating, he sold his properties and ventured into the ice cream business, opening seven Marble Slab ice cream stores by the age of 25. As a multi-unit franchisee, Rob experienced many highs and lows, gaining valuable lessons along the way.
In 2012, Rob received a prestigious scholarship to pursue his MBA at Babson College, the #1 school in the world for entrepreneurship. Since relocating to Boston, he has met a co-founder, a wife, and immersed himself in the city's vibrant technology startup culture.
Over several years, Rob built and eventually sold HigherMe, an HR tech solution for the restaurant industry. He also tackled the US student debt crisis with Reset Button/Lexria. Currently, Rob focuses on investing in real estate, startups, and small businesses, while spending as much time as possible with his family.
Connect with Rob on:
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robhunter7/
- Website: https://www.speakerventures.com/
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