From Angel To Exit
From Angel To Exit
Podcast Description
From Angel To Exit is a business podcast exploring the entrepreneurial journey of scaling a business from raising your first round of funding to exiting. We cover the trials and tribulations that founders face, the pitfalls and pratfalls you want to avoid, as well as the joy and impact that success can bring. Join us on our next episode, where we speak about the challenges that real leaders face growing and scaling their organizations and how they’ve overcome them to achieve success and make their mark.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
This podcast focuses on the entrepreneurial journey, including challenges of raising funding, scaling businesses, and preparing for exits. Episodes cover themes such as operational challenges, cultural alignment, and strategic growth dilemmas, with specific topics like transitioning company culture post-exit and the significance of personal branding for founders.
From Angel To Exit is a business podcast exploring the entrepreneurial journey of scaling a business from raising your first round of funding to exiting. We cover the trials and tribulations that founders face, the pitfalls and pratfalls you want to avoid, as well as the joy and impact that success can bring. Join us on our next episode, where we speak about the challenges that real leaders face growing and scaling their organizations and how they’ve overcome them to achieve success and make their mark.
What do anthropology and exit strategy have in common? For Ujwal Arkalgud, everything. In this insightful episode, Ujwal shares how he built a services business from scratch, used cultural insight to win Fortune 500 clients, and scaled into a SaaS platform with 70% EBITDA margins. His approach to engineering credibility, navigating buyer psychology, and preparing for an exit led to multiple private equity offers—and a successful sale within 3.5 months. Founders eyeing scale or exit will find practical gold in Ujwal’s unconventional path.
Key Takeaways:
- You don’t need pedigree to win enterprise clients—just a counterintuitive insight and clear POV.
- Build credibility by solving curiosity gaps, not showcasing credentials.
- Services businesses can be powerful cash engines—use them to fund product innovation.
- Transitioning from services to SaaS often means short-term pain for long-term valuation gain.
- A clean, disciplined P&L with no personal expenses is key to investor trust.
- Bundle tech + services wisely to protect ARR and maximize valuation.
- Structuring your company for exit should start 2–3 years before a sale.
- Taking time off post-exit is essential—clarity and purpose come from space, not speed.
Timestamps
- 00:00 Introduction to Ujwal Arkalgud
- 00:48 The Journey into Entrepreneurship
- 02:30 Cultural Anthropology and Business Insights
- 05:07 Building Credibility in Business
- 08:36 Transitioning from Services to Technology
- 10:22 Strategic Planning for Exits
- 14:05 Navigating the Exit Process
- 17:21 Lessons Learned from Failed Offers
- 20:12 The Impact of COVID-19 on Business Growth
- 23:28 Preparing for Negotiations
- 26:13 Choosing the Right Buyer
- 29:42 Post-Exit Reflections and New Ventures
- 34:12 Future Aspirations and Advice for Entrepreneurs
Links & Resources
- Ujwal Arkalgud
Website: https://invisible-rules.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ujwalarkalgud
Instagram: @ujwal.arkalgud
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