Growth, exits & acquisitions
Building the business
609 episodes across 34 shows cover growth, exits & acquisitions. The shows that cover it most are How I Built This, EMS@C-LEVEL and The Circuit. The most recent, from 12 Oct 2026, is “Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Tim and Karrie League (2023)” from How I Built This.
Scaling the company, acquisitions, IPOs, selling a business, succession, and companies that failed or shut down.
609 episodes from 34 shows, most relevant and most recent first.
609 episodes
Always Be Exiting: How Manufacturers Build Value Years Before a Sale w/ Eric Wiklendt
Eric Wiklendt, Managing Director at Speyside Equity, explains his two-phase 'portco value creation system' for middle-market manufacturing businesses: fixing margins through operational improvement (Phase 1) and then building top-line…
Building a High-Value, Buyer-Ready Manufacturing Operation w/ Renita Wolf
Renita Wolf, founder and CEO of Poe Wolf Partners, explains that exit planning is a continuous process of building transferable value and reducing owner dependency, rather than a final step before selling. She outlines a 24-month framework…
UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.
Brian Smith, founder of UGG, explains how he imported Australian sheepskin boots to the U.S. in 1979, initially struggling with zero sales from surf shops before pivoting to marketing to real surfers like Mike Parsons and Ted Robinson. He…
S6E38 Wally Waldron | How to Successfully Exit A Manufacturing or Industrial Services Business
Jason Wally Waldron, founder and CEO of Exitology, explains how technical founders of manufacturing and industrial service companies can prepare for a successful exit by shifting from an operator to an investor mindset. He discusses the…
Exit Planning for Manufacturing Leaders and How to Protect Your Legacy w/ Amy Julian and Bryan Graiff
Amy Julian and Bryan Graiff of Armanino discuss exit planning strategies for midsize manufacturing leaders, emphasizing the importance of starting the process 3 to 5 years before a sale. They cover identifying value drivers and eroders…
Scaling Smarter: Why InCap Is Acquiring Lacon Group And What It Unlocks, with CEO Otto Pukk
InCap CEO Otto Pukk explains the strategic rationale behind acquiring Lacon Group, a German EMS and ODM player with sites in Bavaria, Northern Germany, and Romania. The deal adds roughly €70 million in revenue and balances InCap's…
The Race is On: Dealmakers At Full Throttle with MP Corporate Finance MD Shaan Tharani
Shaan Tharani, Managing Director at MP Corporate Finance, discusses the intense M&A activity in the European EMS market, highlighting Cicor’s rise through acquisitions like Mades and Valtronic, and its revised offer for TT. He details…
308 - Everything you wanted to know about Private Equity, M&A with Mesirow
Melanie Yermack, Rick Weil, and Nitay Laor from Mesirow discuss the current state of mergers and acquisitions in the packaging industry, emphasizing that private equity remains a dominant force despite economic uncertainty. They explain…
218: Why Buying and Selling a Business Is a "War over the Numbers" Featuring Clint Bundy of Bundy Group
Clint Bundy, Managing Director at Bundy Group, explains that selling a business is a psychological and financial 'war over the numbers' where buyers and sellers negotiate aggressively on valuation. He details the critical importance of…
Episode 96: The State of Intel Post Pat G, Product Roadmap focus, Foundries Strategic Value
Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss the abrupt retirement of Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and the subsequent leadership transition to co-CEOs MJ Henshaw and Dave Zinsner. They analyze Intel's strategic pivot, debating whether the company will…
Demystifying the Buying and Selling of a Manufacturing Business w/ Mike Payne
Mike Payne, owner of Hill Manufacturing & Fabrication and host of the 'Buy the Numbers' podcast, discusses the realities of buying and selling manufacturing businesses. He explains that while many machinists dream of ownership, the process…
#206 - Exit Interview: The Sale of Aura Bora
Paul Voge, founder of Aura Bora, explains the sale of his sparkling water brand to Next in Natural, detailing the financial realities of the beverage industry. He discusses how shifting investor expectations and lower acquisition multiples…
Global Strategies and M&A Trends: A Conversation with Lincoln International's Chaim Lubin
Chaim Lubin of Lincoln International, the largest global investment bank focused on private capital markets, discusses the rebound in EMS M&A activity post-pandemic. He explains that while private equity drove consolidation from 2015 to…
diapers.com: Marc Lore. The ecommerce visionary who lost to Amazon but still made billions (2021)
Marc Lore, founder of diapers.com and jet.com, explains how he built an e-commerce empire by using diapers as a loss leader to drive traffic to higher-margin baby products. He details the 'scorched earth' strategy Amazon used to force his…
Investor Spotlight: Brian Bernstein, Rich Products Ventures
Brian Bernstein, an investor at Rich Products Ventures, explains how the corporate venture arm of the $6 billion frozen food manufacturer Rich Products operates as a hybrid financial and strategic partner, investing $100K-$3M checks in…
The EMS M&A Rollercoaster: Who’s Buying and Why? With MP Corporate Finance MD Shaan Tharani
Shaan Tharani, Managing Director at MP Corporate Finance, analyzes the current state of mergers and acquisitions in the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry, highlighting how geopolitical shifts and tariff uncertainties are…
Electronica 24: M&A Special, Strategic Insights, Geopolitics and Trends with Shaan Tharani
Shaan Tharani, an M&A expert specializing in the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry, discusses the current landscape of mergers and acquisitions at Electronica 2024. He highlights two primary drivers for recent deals…
Investor Spotlight: Hayden Williams, BrandProject
Hayden Williams, Partner at BrandProject, discusses the firm's pre-launch investing strategy and the recent P&G acquisition of portfolio company Wonderbelly. He details how founders Noah and Lucas built a clean-label antacid brand from the…
What's next for iRobot?
Hosts Steve Crowe, Mike Oitzman, and Gene Demaitre analyze the collapse of Amazon's proposed $1.42 billion acquisition of iRobot and the subsequent departure of CEO Colin Angle. They discuss iRobot's financial struggles, including a…
206: How to Sell Your Hardware Product Business
Dan Shea, Managing Director at Objective Capital Partners, explains how hardware founders can maximize valuation for an eventual exit by focusing on product innovation, customer-centric design, and building a culture of continuous…
157: Building Your Business to Sell with Bob Goldsmith, Founder & President of Northern Edge Advisors
Bob Goldsmith, Founder and President of Northern Edge Advisors, explains how manufacturing business owners can increase their company's value by treating the business as an asset to be sold. He outlines key preparation steps, including…
Partnership Not Ownership: Inside Main Post Partners' Investment Approach
Tara Hyland, Principal at Main Post Partners, explains the firm's growth equity approach, which focuses on founder-led consumer businesses with $25M–$200M in revenue. She details how Main Post differentiates itself from venture capital by…
Episode 86: Intel's Inflection Point? Analyzing the Intel Plan.
Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg analyze Intel's strategic inflection point, focusing on the company's response to activist investor pressure and the recent board meeting. They discuss the 'spin-in' of Intel Foundry, the significance of Amazon…
Robotics in Review: Editors look back at 2025
The Robot Report editorial team, including Steve Crowe, Gene Demaitre, Mike Oitzman, and Brianna Wessling, reviews the major robotics industry shifts of 2025, highlighting $3.5 billion in humanoid funding and the rise of physical AI. They…
Late Stage Insights For Early Brands to Learn From: Aaron Garcia, Main Post Partners
Aaron Garcia, a partner at Main Post Partners, discusses how later-stage private equity insights can guide early-stage consumer brands toward sustainable growth and successful exits. He emphasizes the importance of profitability, strategic…
Episode 73: Nvidia's Moment, and The "Platformization" of GPUs
Ben Baharin and Jay Goldberg discuss Nvidia briefly surpassing Apple as the world's most valuable company, analyzing the sustainability of its growth and the 'platformization' of GPUs. They debate whether Nvidia's GPU-centric strategy…
Insomnia Cookies: Seth Berkowitz
Seth Berkowitz, co-founder and CEO of Insomnia Cookies, recounts the 21-year journey of building a $350 million late-night cookie delivery business. He details early pivots, including a failed partnership with the frozen yogurt brand Tasty…
Latest CPG Deals and Market Insights: Drew Fallon, CEO Iris Finance
Drew Fallon, CEO of Iris Finance and former CFO of Mad Rabbit, analyzes the current CPG acquisition landscape, noting that while headline deals like Groons and Simple Mills create an illusion of activity, the market is actually muted and…
B2B Series: The Story of Broadcom
Host Jay Goldberg details the history of Broadcom, tracing its origins from HP's semiconductor division to its acquisition by private equity firms KKR and Silver Lake in 2005, where it was renamed Avago. He explains how CEO Hock Tan built…
Advice Line with Perry Chen of Kickstarter
Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen joins Guy Raz to advise three early-stage founders on scaling and exit strategies. Jesse Hodge of ModTub discusses whether to sell his profitable cold plunge business or hire a professional CEO to scale…
What’s really happening in the U.S. EV market?
Corey Cantor, a senior associate at BloombergNEF, analyzes the U.S. EV market, explaining that while 2023 saw 50% sales growth, recent headlines reflect a shift in expectations rather than a collapse. He details the struggles of legacy…
Founder Fundraising Journey: Craig Dubitsky, Happy Products
Craig Dubitsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Happy Products, discusses his journey building brands like eos, hello, and Method, and his current venture, Happy, which partners with NAMI. He explains that Happy is in the 'Happy business' with…
2023 climate tech venture investment trends
Kim Zou, co-founder and CEO of Sightline Climate, joins host Shayle Khan to analyze the 2023 Climate Tech Investment Trends report, revealing a 30% decline in venture funding driven by the disappearance of mega-rounds rather than a drop in…
Wingstop: Antonio Swad. A Brilliant Idea — And a Nail-Biting Exit
Antonio Swad, founder of Wingstop and Pizza Patron, recounts building two major restaurant franchises from scratch, starting with Pizza Patron in Dallas and then launching Wingstop in 1994. He details the operational simplicity of the wing…
Episode 155: SHOW ME THE MONEY! NVIDIA Earnings, and more from the Week!
Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldstein discuss a week of major semiconductor announcements, focusing on AMD's strategic partnership with Meta involving custom Instinct GPUs and equity, and NVIDIA's record-breaking earnings driven by Grace Blackwell…
Who benefits from the AI power bottleneck?
Shanu Mathew, senior vice president and portfolio manager at Lazard, analyzes the conflicting incentives of various actors in the AI energy supply chain regarding the 'power bottleneck' narrative. He explains how hyperscalers like…
PayPal: Max Levchin (June 2022)
Max Levchin, co-founder of PayPal, recounts his journey from a Soviet Ukraine immigrant to a Silicon Valley pioneer, detailing the creation of Confinity and its pivot to PayPal. He describes the strategic merger with Elon Musk’s X.com, the…
Optimizing the Value of your Manufacturing Business
Fran Brunelle, President of Accelerated Manufacturing Brokers, Inc., explains that optimizing a manufacturing business for sale requires focusing on operational health rather than just financial multiples. She details how buyers evaluate…
Open Source and Capitalism with Ashley Williams and Adam Jacob
Ashley Williams (former CTO of MPM, now at Akzo) and Adam Jacob (founder of Chef, now at Oxide Computer Company) join Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal to discuss the economic tensions between open source software and capitalism. They…
CES 2026 robotics recap; 2026 predictions
Steve Crow and Mike Oitzman recap CES 2026, highlighting Boston Dynamics' first public demo of the Atlas humanoid robot and its new partnership with Google DeepMind. They discuss the industry's skepticism regarding humanoid readiness…
Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin, From Zero to a Billion Dollar Exit in Five Years (December 2018)
Michael Dubin, founder of Dollar Shave Club, explains how he leveraged his background in video marketing and improv comedy to disrupt the razor market dominated by Gillette. After meeting Mark Levine, who had 250,000 razors in a warehouse…
Where it comes up44:19
EP 145: Marvell Analyst Day, Broadcom Earnings, AI Trade Sentiment
Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg analyze Marvell's strategic pivot toward networking and optical interconnects, contrasting Google's proprietary all-optical infrastructure with the broader industry's reliance on copper. They dissect Broadcom's…
Investor Spotlight: Alcohol & Vice Investing with Jason Sherman of Top Shelf Ventures
Jason Sherman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Top Shelf Ventures, an early-stage fund focused on alcohol and vice brands, shares insights from his background at AB InBev and his experience founding Tapir. He explains that investors…
How HANZA Blends ESG, Vertical Integration, And Smart Acquisitions To Scale with CFO Lars Åkerblom
Lars Åkerblom, CFO of HANZA, explains how the electronics manufacturer integrates ESG principles, such as safety and anti-corruption, into its core operations to build trust with large customers and suppliers. He details the strategic…
EP 132: NVIDIA Earnings + Ben's Thesis Time and Those Lumpy ASICs
Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg analyze Nvidia's recent earnings, focusing on the uncertainty surrounding its China sales strategy, the interpretation of Jensen Huang's $3-4 trillion cumulative infrastructure forecast, and the competitive…
Investor Spotlight: Graham Garzon, Ground Force Capital — Growth Stage Investing, Business Fundamentals, and What It Takes to Build an Acquirable Brand
Graham Garzon, Vice President at Ground Force Capital, explains the firm's growth-stage investment strategy, which targets CPG brands with $15-20 million in revenue for checks of $10-40 million. He details the shift toward profitability…
How I Built Resilience: Live with Tobias Lütke and Jon Stein
Tobias Lütke, founder of Shopify, discusses how the pandemic accelerated digitalization trends and drove traditional businesses like Heinz to launch e-commerce sites, while Jon Stein, founder of Betterment, explains why the 2008 recession…
Private Equity Meets Engineering: Eurocircuits Becomes The Centerpiece Of A Long-Term Strategy
Dirk Stans, Founding Partner of Eurocircuits, explains the strategic decision to partner with Avedon Capital Partners rather than selling to an industrial group, ensuring the company remains the centerpiece of a new platform. He details…
Mary's Gone Crackers: Mary Waldner
Mary Waldner, a psychotherapist diagnosed with celiac disease at age 43, created Mary's Gone Crackers to solve her own dietary needs, eventually growing the brand into a multi-million dollar business sold in major retailers. Working with…
Defense Deals And Nordic Expansion from Kitron Group: EMS@C-Level with CEO Peter Nilsson
Peter Nilsson, CEO of Kitron Group, discusses the strategic acquisition of DeltaNordic to gain entrenched capabilities in electrical cabinets and control boards for combat vehicles and naval platforms. He outlines Kitron's 'one-company'…