THE EXIT Podcast
THE EXIT Podcast
Podcast Description
Welcome to THE EXIT – where the world’s most successful founders reveal how they built, scaled, and sold their companies for 8, 9, and even 10 figures.Hosted by entrepreneur, advisor, and founder of THE EXIT GROUP (http://www.theexit.group), Adrian Salamunovic, THE EXIT Podcast delivers rare, candid conversations with tech, SaaS, and e-commerce founders who’ve done the hard thing: exited. We go beyond the headlines to unpack what really happened—how the deals came together, what almost killed them, and what life looks like after the wire clears.If you're a founder planning a future exit—or want to learn how the world’s top entrepreneurs think—this is where you'll find insights you won’t hear anywhere else.– Startup acquisitions & M&A strategy– Real founder exit stories– How to sell your company for maximum value– Post-exit wealth, purpose & reinvention
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers on topics like startup acquisitions, M&A strategies, and real-life exit stories from tech, SaaS, and e-commerce founders. Episodes feature crucial discussions on how to sell companies for maximum value, the journey of wealth reinvention post-exit, and personal reflections on the cost of success, such as balancing ambition with personal well-being.
Welcome to THE EXIT – where the world’s most successful founders reveal how they built, scaled, and sold their companies for 8, 9, and even 10 figures.
Hosted by entrepreneur, advisor, and founder of THE EXIT GROUP (http://www.theexit.group), Adrian Salamunovic, THE EXIT Podcast delivers rare, candid conversations with tech, SaaS, and e-commerce founders who’ve done the hard thing: exited. We go beyond the headlines to unpack what really happened—how the deals came together, what almost killed them, and what life looks like after the wire clears.
If you’re a founder planning a future exit—or want to learn how the world’s top entrepreneurs think—this is where you’ll find insights you won’t hear anywhere else.
– Startup acquisitions & M&A strategy
– Real founder exit stories
– How to sell your company for maximum value
– Post-exit wealth, purpose & reinvention
In this episode of The EXIT Podcast, we sit down with Aydin Mirzaee, co-founder of FluidSurveys and now CEO of Fellow.app. Aydin shares how he built and scaled FluidSurveys into a major player in the online survey space — only to sell it to their sworn enemy, SurveyMonkey. What looked like a dream exit turned into a temporary identity crisis, forcing him to question who he was without the company he built.Aydin opens up about navigating that existential low, why exits don’t always equal happiness, and how he ultimately found his next chapter building Fellow, a market leader in the meeting note taking space powered by AI. From building against the odds, to selling to a rival, to rebuilding meaning after the payday — this episode is raw, insightful, and packed with lessons for every founder.🎧 Listen now to learn:What it’s like to sell your startup to your biggest competitorWhy the “post-exit high” can quickly turn into a personal lowHow Aydin rebuilt confidence and clarity to start againWhat he’s doing differently at Fellow to align purpose with business📍 About Aydin Mirzaee:Aydin is a Canadian entrepreneur and the co-founder of FluidSurveys, acquired by SurveyMonkey in 2014. Today he leads Fellow.app, a meeting productivity platform backed by top investors, and advocates for healthier, more intentional company cultures.🧠 Subscribe to The EXIT Podcast for more unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve built, sold, and reinvented themselves.Timestamps:0:00:00 – Introduction & Aydin’s Early Entrepreneurial Journey0:01:47 – Founding Fluid Surveys & Entering a Crowded Market0:04:01 – Finding a Niche: Accessibility & Canadian Data Sovereignty0:05:55 – Pivoting to Enterprise & Discovering High-Value Customers0:10:38 – The Role of Co-Founders and Experience in Startup Success0:14:54 – Bootstrapping, Growth, and Financial Struggles0:17:29 – First Contact with SurveyMonkey: Friend or Foe?0:23:47 – Acquisition Negotiations: Tactics and Challenges0:30:24 – Custom Contracts and Due Diligence Hurdles0:32:54 – Employee Buy-In and Closing Conditions0:36:40 – Timeline of the Exit Process & Competing Offers0:40:57 – Negotiating the Sale Price & Currency Lessons0:46:43 – Life After the Exit: Identity and Finding the Next Venture0:49:35 – Overcoming Overthinking: The Importance of Starting and Pivoting0:55:52 – Lessons for Founders Considering an Exit0:57:56 – Providing Context and Transparency Post-Acquisition1:03:59 – Life-Changing Impact of the Exit & Personal Reflections1:12:39 – Giving Back: Helping Other Founders and Angel Investing1:17:25 – Final Advice: The Journey, Compounding, and Moving the Needle💬 Leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode – it helps us grow and reach more founders.🔗 Follow the Guests & HostsTHE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.groupInstagram – /theexit.groupAydin Mirzaee – /aydinmirzaeeAdrian Salamunovic – /adriansalamunovic
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