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.

0deals dissected
$0lost, where stated (9 of 15)
0mistakes catalogued
Operational problemsmost common mistake
$5M lost 6 major 1:32:58

The 7 Year Collapse of an SBA Acquisition | Scott Duncan Interview

tool and die · 2018 · Bankruptcy

“If the seller, a few craftsmen, or one customer relationship are the real business, you are not buying systems—you are buying people who can walk out the door.”

Key people leftCustomer concentrationOperational problemsToo much debtMarket shiftCulture clash
$8K lost 2 fatal · 5 major 1:09:23

How This Entrepreneur Failed At A Turnaround Acquisition And What He Learned Through The Experience

ATM repair · 2023 · Sold at a loss

“In a turnaround, do not buy the P&L—buy only what you can prove transaction by transaction.”

Due-diligence gapsMisrepresented financialsMarket shiftOperational problemsCustomer concentrationLegal / regulatoryToo much debt