Dear hustlers, founders, operators and visionaries,

There is a few things entrepreneurs experience only very rarely, yet when they do, it will be one of the most important things in their journey. Company exits are one such thing. For most, the exit event is something far away in the future, yet the actions of the present can have huge implications on it.

We talk to Francine Gervazio today, CEO of Shiftmove, a B2B SaaS company in the mobility sector. Having gone through mergers in the Software sector herself, she brings first-hand experience on the required acumen. Her clarity in working backwards from an exit and defining what this means for you today - even if in early stage - was truly impressive. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did!

🎧 Tune in now on Spotify, Apple, YouTube and share your thoughts! Who should be our next guest?

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How to prepare your startup for an exit

What you will get out of this episode

We sit down with Francine Gervazio, CEO of Shiftmove. Shiftmove is a pioneer in end-to-end mobility operations software, headquartered in Berlin and with offices across Europe and over 220 employees.

In 2018, Francine joined the Swiss scale-up Avrios, moving up from VP of Customer Success to CEO, before leading the company through its merger with Vimcar to form Shiftmove. She brings deep expertise in steering companies through M&A.

In our interview, Francine shares:

• How to create a compelling case for a potential buyer of your company

• How to read market dynamics and spot the right timing for an exit

• When and why to align internal stakeholders like your board

• Why long-term relationship building with investors is paramount

• and much more!

Our main take away’s

1. Be exit-ready: Companies should always be prepared for a sale. Are you able to reconcile your CRM’s revenue data with your invoicing tool? Do you know conversion rates in your Sales funnel? Have your financials in order, understand your go-to-market data, and keep your stakeholder interests aligned.

2. Know your buyers: Are you looking for a long-term strategic partner, or are you seeking to sell to a PE? Differentiate between financial and strategic buyers, tailoring your message to resonate with each group's interests.

3. Build genuine relationships: Most offers come from people you know and have met throughout your career. Engage with potential buyers and industry partners early on to create trust and understanding. Be aware that your messaging with them is consistent in the long term.

4. Know your game, preparation is key: For you, selling your company may be a once-in-a-lifetime thing. For the other side, it is their bread and butter. Get professional advice on maintaining solid financials, understanding your contracts, having your documents in order before a sale and running negotiations.

Additional material on the topic

How to reach out to Francine

• LinkedIn: Francine Gervazio

Talk to you next week! Until then, connect with us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and YouTube!

🫶 Melanie & Christian

Each week, a lot of work goes into the Follow the Gradient project to help you navigate this crazy jungle called entrepreneurship. Help us grow this community and we’ll make sure that you or your project gets a shoutout in the weekly newsletter!