Odys Podcast: The High Stakes Growth Show

“Can you share the numbers on your company before the acquisition, like ARR, team size, and profitability?”

She often asks this at the beginning to establish a concrete baseline of the company's scale.

“What does it actually cost to build a business in [location] today?”

A direct question to ground the conversation in real-world financial figures for a specific market.

“Where does serious early-stage capital actually come from in this market?”

Used to bypass generic funding advice and identify the true sources of money in a specific ecosystem.

“How did the idea of selling the company first come about?”

This question is used to uncover the initial trigger and motivation behind a major strategic decision.

“Can you walk us through how you prepared the company for the sale?”

This prompts guests to provide a practical, step-by-step account of the M&A preparation process.

“What does the decision to block crawlers actually cost a business in real life?”

A pointed question designed to highlight the tangible, real-world impact of a technical decision.

“What surprised the buyers, or what did they care about that surprised you?”

This question surfaces unexpected details and priorities from the due diligence process.

“How do you make a deal acceptable to all stakeholders so everyone is happy?”

This question explores the difficult internal dynamics of managing co-founders and investors during a sale.

“How and when did you tell the team about the acquisition?”

Focuses on the human and communication challenges during a major corporate change.

“What's the biggest myth about this startup scene that outsiders believe?”

This is asked to deconstruct common misconceptions and reveal the on-the-ground reality of a business environment.

“Why did you choose to stay on as shareholders instead of cashing out entirely?”

This question probes the post-acquisition strategy and the founders' confidence in the new entity.

“What do you think the open web will look like in five years?”

A frequent closing question that asks for a forward-looking prediction on industry trends.