Why Founders Are Afraid to Talk About Exit Strategies

Acquisitions are a much more common end point for startups than IPOs. So why does no one talk about them? There are five common myths and biases that get in the way, and prevent founders from thinking ahead: optimism bias, present bias, signaling failures, the myth of entrepreneurial risk taking, and the myth of acquisition failures. Understanding these, and knowing how to work around them, can ensure founders have the broadest slate of possible options, and aren’t left scrambling when an acquisition deal is suddenly on the table.