What actually determines whether a founder gets the exit they imagined?

And what happens after the deal is done?

Trent Kitsch has built, scaled and exited multiple businesses, including SAXX Underwear and DOJA Cannabis. In this conversation, we get into the parts of entrepreneurship that often get missed between starting the company and celebrating the exit.

Trent shares why he thinks about the eventual buyer from the beginning, why valuation is about more than the business itself, and how timing and luck can matter as much as execution.

We also talk about raising capital, qualifying buyers, negotiating a sale, surrounding yourself with the right advisors, and how AI is changing the speed at which founders can build and iterate.

This episode is about building valuable businesses, knowing when timing matters, and figuring out what you want success to make possible once you get there.

More than that, Trent and I have school / business journeyed together for nearly 35 years. Enjoying occasional check ins like this along the way.