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Founders and family business owners preparing to sell, and those who have sold in the last year or two. It's most useful before a letter of intent is signed, when there's still time to act on what it finds. Ask your spouse, partner or co-founder to take it too, then compare.
Model your after-tax proceeds under different deal structures, consider estate and gifting planning before the sale price is set, choose advisors who are independent of the deal and get them working together, and decide which entity or account will receive the proceeds.
Hold the proceeds somewhere safe and liquid while you build a plan, work out what you need each year to live the way you want, write down an investment policy, and set a rule for the pitches that will arrive. Avoid big, irreversible decisions in the first months.
Some gifting and trust strategies work best while shares are valued before a deal sets a higher price. Once the deal is signed, those options can narrow or disappear, so speak to estate counsel early.
Compare several, ask each one in writing how they are paid, check whether they act as a fiduciary, and make sure they will coordinate with your tax and estate advisors rather than work alone.
Agree with the buyer what the announcement will say about you, review what is public about your home and family, and add call-back verification for wires and account changes. Fraud attempts often follow a public sale.
From VC10X, hosted by Prashant Choubey. Updated .