Post-mortems of real deals
Educated. Successful. Smart.
Still, they failed.
Learn why — before you buy a business. Buyers and founders tell on camera how their acquisition fell apart. Each story becomes a case study: what went wrong, at which stage of the deal, and the due-diligence step that would have caught it.
1 fatal · 4 major
1:18:22
How to Recover from a Fraudulent Seller | Jason Jackson Interview
“If you see cracks in a seller’s integrity, do not try to price or structure around them—stop, verify, or walk.”
$1M lost
2 fatal · 4 major
1:06:46
From Rookie Deal to $17M in Revenue
“A cheap multiple and seller financing do not protect you from bad people, bad books, or a business you are not ready to run.”
$180K lost
5 major
16:17
You Tried to Roll-Up Small Businesses. It Almost Broke You.
“In trust-based small businesses, debt can buy companies, but only discipline keeps the customers, people, and cash flow from walking out the door.”
1 fatal · 5 major
1:10:13
When a $2.8m Acquisition Is More Like Zero to One | Dave Gilbert Interview
“If the EBITDA, customers, people, and sales engine are not verified bottom-up, you may buy a “cash-flowing” business that is really a leveraged turnaround.”
3 major
1:20:53
Raise $800k to Buy an $8m Business | Kevin Bibelhausen Interview
“In an inventory-heavy acquisition, closing the deal is not enough—you must also finance the cash gap between buying product and getting paid.”
$160K lost
2 fatal · 4 major
1:29:13
How 1 SBA Loan Brought Down 2 Businesses | Edgar Galindo Interview
“Do not let a new add-on acquisition borrow against your healthy platform until the people, liabilities, and downside are fully understood.”
$8K lost
2 fatal · 5 major
1:09:23
How This Entrepreneur Failed At A Turnaround Acquisition And What He Learned Through The Experience
“In a turnaround, do not buy the P&L—buy only what you can prove transaction by transaction.”