The M&A playbook for founders in 2025

How to Sell Your Startup: The Founder’s M&A Playbook

Most founders wait too long to sell and end up losing leverage. In this episode, Jason Kirby and Oliver Low share the real playbook for navigating M&A in 2025. You’ll learn why the best founders sell in the fourth inning, how to structure deals without falling into earnout traps, and how to position your startup for private equity or strategic buyers.

They also unpack how Thunder helps founders architect their outcomes, whether that means running a sell-side process, launching a buy-side rollup, or structuring a hybrid deal that gives you both liquidity and long-term upside.

💡 If you’re a founder considering an exit, this is required listening.

🎥 Watch the full episode now on YouTube

Here’s what you’re in for:

00:00 Introduction and guest welcome

00:54 Oliver Lowe’s entrepreneurial journey

06:30 The decision to sell and key deal structure insights

10:51 Challenges with earnouts and tough negotiations

13:01 Why selling early can sometimes be the smartest move

21:20 What founders need to know about today’s M&A market

28:25 Consolidation, acquisitions, and evolving strategies

47:33 Real-world advice for founders on structuring deals

01:01:34 Final thoughts and where to connect

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ABOUT Oliver Low

Oliver Low is a serial founder, investor, and M&A advisor at Thunder. After selling his ad tech startup, Platform360, into a London Stock Exchange-listed rollup, he now helps founders design their exit paths — from buyouts and consolidations to private equity-backed growth strategies.

Get in touch with Oliver:

• Learn more:  web.thunder.vc
• Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn

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