Rework jason fried

Building to flip is building to flop 
 
Another thing you hear a lot: "What's your exit strategy?" You hear it even when 
you're just beginning. What is it with people who can't even start building something 
without knowing how they're going to leave it? What's the hurry? Your priorities are out 
of whack if you're thinking about getting out before you even dive in. 
 
Would you go into a relationship planning the breakup? Would you write the 
prenup on a first date? Would you meet with a divorce lawyer the morning of your 
wedding? That would be ridiculous, right? 
 
You need a commitment strategy, not an exit strategy. You should be thinking 
about how to make your project grow and succeed, not how you're going to jump ship. If 
your whole strategy is based on leaving, chances are you won't get far in the first place. 
 
You see so many aspiring businesspeople pinning their hopes on selling out. But 
the odds of getting acquired are so tiny. There's only a slim chance that some big suitor 
will come along and make it all worthwhile. Maybe 1 in 1,000? Or 1 in 10,000? 
 
Plus, when you build a company with the intention of being acquired, you 
emphasize the wrong things. Instead of focusing on getting customers to love you, you 

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worry about who's going to buy you. That's the wrong thing to obsess over. 
 
And let's say you ignore this advice and do pull off a flip. You build your 
business, sell it, and get a nice payday. Then what? Move to an island and sip pina 
coladas all day? Will that really satisfy you? Will money alone truly make you happy? 
Are you sure you'll like that more than running a business you actually enjoy and believe 
in? 
 
That's why you often hear about business owners who sell out, retire for six 
months, and then get back in the game. They miss the thing they gave away. And usually, 
they're back with a business that isn't nearly as good as their first. 
 
Don't be that guy. If you do manage to get a good thing going, keep it going. 
Good things don't come around that often. Don't let your business be the one that got 
away. 
 
 
 
 

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