Ex-Shopify CFO: The Exit Strategy Every Founder Should Hear

THE EXIT Podcast

In this episode of THE EXIT, I sit down with Marc Macleod — former CFO of Shopify and FreshBooks, founder of SurePath Capital, and the coach behind over $1B in successful exits — to uncover the real truth behind the startup exit process.
We talk about:

• The biggest mistakes founders make during an exit
• The psychology of selling your company (and what comes after)
• Why most earn-outs are traps
• How Marc built his post-exit life around mindfulness, purpose, and founder performance
• Tactical advice on aligning with acquirers and investment bankers
• Why your physical and mental health are the #1 growth tools as a founder

If you're building, scaling, or selling a venture-backed startup, this is the episode you can't afford to miss.
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THE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.group
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Marc Macleod – / marcmacleod
Adrian Salamunovic – / adriansalamunovic

Chapters

1. Psychological Aspects of Selling a Company (00:00:00)

2. Introduction of Mark Macleod (00:00:00)

3. Mark's Background in Venture-Backed Startups (00:01:00)

4. Yahoo Purchasing Facebook? (00:02:21)

5. What Makes for a Successful Acquisition? (00:04:30)

6. Why I Avoid Earnouts (00:06:24)

7. Founder Burnout and Recovery Time (00:09:50)

8. Importance of Being Present (00:12:31)

9. Fitness and Mental Health for CEOs (00:13:18)

10. The Role of Coaching in Startups (00:19:55)

11. Operational Experience in Coaching (00:21:30)

12. Two Things You Need to Succeed in Business (00:26:20)

13. What Founders Get Wrong Pre-Exit (00:29:00)

14. Should Founders Work With I-Bankers and When? (00:32:25)

15. Avoiding Exit Landmines (00:41:24)

16. Coaching and Providing Tough Feedback (00:48:20)

17. Creating a Massive Business You Never Want to Exit (00:49:40)