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.
3 major
13:54
You Bought Small Businesses. Now You Can't Exit
“A business can be healthy and still be hard to sell if it was optimized for owner cash flow instead of the buyer universe you expect at exit.”
$300K lost
5 major
10:50
I Lost $300K On This Business… Do I Close It?
“A great road and a familiar brand cannot save a location if the unit economics and the store manager do not work.”
$100K lost
2 fatal · 4 major
28:50
I Lost $100K Trying to Save a Failing Franchise
“In a distressed franchise, the cheapest-looking option is often to sell now, because waiting for a higher price can burn far more cash than the discount you refused.”
$1M lost
6 major
1:49:06
Lessons from 24 Acquisition Nightmares | Jed Morris Interview
“Do not let a successful first close turn you into a roll-up buyer before you have truly learned the cash, people, and operating rhythm of the first business.”
$230K lost
3 fatal · 4 major
1:26:18
Plumbing Acquisition Gone Wrong | Josh Key Interview
“A rushed partner can be more dangerous than a bad business—diligence the person, lawyer up early, and write the breakup plan before you close.”