“Even your failures can lead to ultimate success”

Happy Wednesday!

Last week, I told you about Darwin, a retired C-suite tech executive who closed on a 25-year-old SaaS company after 18 months, three failed deals, and one conversation on a golf course that changed everything.

Today, I’m sharing the 3 main takeaways from how he made it work, including our full conversation with all the details. 👇

Community Spotlight

Before getting back to Darwin, I first wanted to share Mark’s success story from our Acquisition Ace community.

Mark bought a $4.56M traffic signal maintenance company for just $15K out of pocket, with no electrical background.

He calls himself the “poster child” for what Acquisition Ace teaches, and credits coaches and community for making it possible.

👉 Want coaching and community support to buy a business outside your background? Book a call with our team here.

“Even your failures can lead to ultimate success. If the marketing agency had closed, I never would have had the conversation that led to this deal.”

Darwin told me that after closing a $1.3M SaaS acquisition, with zero dollars of his own money, one week before we recorded this interview.

3 key takeaways from our conversation

1. Tell everyone what you’re doing

Darwin’s deal came from his operating partner mentioning their search during a round of golf, and the other person saying “why don’t you buy my company?”

The more people who know what you’re looking for, the more surface area you create for the right opportunity to find you.

2. Walking away from a bad deal is how you find a good one

Darwin had bank approval in hand on a digital marketing agency before walking away due to declining revenue, messy financials, and misrepresented employees.

That decision, as painful as it was after five months of work, is what kept him available when the SaaS deal appeared.

3. Oversubscribed investors are a working capital advantage

Darwin’s investor network put in more than the deal required, and the excess became working capital.

Structuring your raise with a buffer gives you flexibility in the first year when unexpected needs inevitably come up.

(Darwin funded the entire deal through his investor network. Inside Acquisition Ace, members learn how to attract and structure deals with private investors. To see how you can benefit from the Acquisition Ace community and make your first acquisition, book a call with our team here.)

This week’s action item

Tell three people in your network this week that you’re actively looking to buy a business.

Mention what you’re looking for and why.

You never know which conversation could turn into a deal that changes your life.

To hear the full story of how Darwin built his team, survived three failed deals, and closed his first acquisition with none of his own money…

Watch the full interview with him here.

P.S. Darwin had nothing to show for 18 months of searching, until he did.

What kept him going was staying plugged into a community of people doing the same thing, learning from every deal whether it closed or not.

If you want that same support and momentum behind your search…

👉 Book a call with our team here to see how the Acquisition Ace community could help you land your first business acquisition.