How to Design a Company With the Exit in Mind Building a start-up with an exit in mind shapes strategy, sharpens focus, and drives sustainable growth.

When we started our first company, we didn't think much about exits or multiples. We had a vision of what we wanted to create, and I had a rough idea that I'd work on it for five or six years before moving to the next thing. I was 27. It was our first business, and I saw it as a stepping stone—almost a learning exercise—before bigger things to come.

As it turned out, that plan was flawed in more ways than one. It wasn't until fifteen years later that we finally closed the circle: achieving a successful exit. And while the result was undoubtedly life-changing for everyone involved, it came with more than its fair share of scars. It was a hard-fought, all-consuming effort that could easily have gone in a different direction. Looking back now, I believe we could have achieved the same outcome in half the time—and with far less chaos—if we'd built the company with an exit in mind from day one.

Most founders overlook this. But building a business as if someone else will one day own it changes everything. It's not about abandoning your mission. No company will command a premium valuation if the product isn't great or the mission isn't compelling. Designing for exit means building smart. It means building with structure, clarity, and staying laser focused.

Work Backward From Your Vision
The first step is simple: start with the end. Once your vision is clear, work backward. Ask yourself: What kind of exit are you aiming for? Strategic acquisition? Private equity? Who might buy the business—and why? And what valuation would make the journey worthwhile?

Founders often forget a critical point: buyers aren't just purchasing what you've built—they're buying what they can still build from it. Most will be looking for a 3X return within three to five years. If they're paying €10m, they need to believe the business can grow to €30m. That means it can't have peaked. It needs to be scalable, with momentum, and able to grow without you.

Too many founders think they'll leap from €200,000 to €20m overnight. In reality, it's more like climbing a staircase. First, prove product-market fit and secure recurring revenue. Then, professionalise operations, hire leadership, and clean up your financials. Each step builds maturity—and increases valuation.

Understand Your Valuation Drivers
Your business model matters. Different industries have different valuation metrics. A SaaS company with strong recurring revenue might command a 15x EBITDA multiple, especially with low churn and high growth. A logistics or service business might fetch 4–6x—unless it shows exceptional scalability or defensibility. These benchmarks shift with market conditions, so start talking to brokers early.

In later years, I had regular quarterly coffees with several brokers. They always knew what was hot, what buyers were paying for, and what changes we needed to make. You don't need to be ready to sell to benefit from these conversations. But you do need to understand the kind of business you're building toward.

Systemise Everything
Now to the unsexy but critical part: systems. No buyer wants to acquire chaos. If your company runs on intuition, late-night messages, and undocumented processes, it won't pass the first due diligence hurdle.

Start documenting everything: sales pipeline, fulfilment workflows, customer onboarding, internal policies, legal contracts. Make the company operable without you. All of this is so much easier now with AI tools and agents, there is definitely no excuses. If you can take a three-week holiday without checking your phone, you're probably on the right track.

Make Yourself Replaceable
This one's hard. Make yourself redundant well before you plan to exit. Two years before our sale, I stepped aside as CEO to begin that transition. It wasn't easy—it required planning and finding the right person—but it made a huge difference. If the company needs you in the day-to-day, it's not an asset—it's a job. And buyers don't buy jobs. They buy machines that run themselves. You need leadership that can own outcomes without your shadow hanging over them.

Clean Up Your Financials
Financials matter—deeply. If your books are messy, your exit will be too. Keep them clean, simple, and transparent. Avoid one-off accounting tricks. Be consistent with forecasting and reporting. Buyers will dig deep, and you want them to see predictability, not red flags.

Know What Moves the Multiple
Recurring revenue always beats one-off sales. High margins are great, but customer retention and diversification matter just as much. A business with 20 big clients might look solid, but if three leave, you're exposed. A company with 200 smaller customers is more resilient—and more valuable. Buyers are looking for scale, stability, and repeatability.

What We Learned
Over 15 years, we transitioned away from an ad-led model to recurring subscriptions. We upgraded our product and network to serve larger clients. We introduced systems, embedded KPIs, and hired experienced leadership. We built processes, brought in a seasoned board, and—when the time came—we let go.

That was the secret. When the buyer came knocking, they weren't just buying our past—they were buying a plan for the future.

Final Thought
Designing for exit doesn't mean cutting corners or abandoning your mission. It means creating optionality and control. If your business is sellable, it should also be scalable and sustainable. Even if you never sell, you'll have something that runs superbly well —with or without you. And if the right buyer shows up?

You'll be ready.