They Got Acquired - A disappointment

January 17, 2023
​Read on web​

Some acquisitions are about founders cashing out and moving on to new adventures.

Others are about combining forces to build something even better together.

And other times, when a company opts to sell just a slice of its business, acquisitions act as a strategic pivot, allowing the seller to refocus on the core offerings that remain.

That’s what happened with executive job search site Ladders through the sale of its daily newsletter business to industry newsletter firm Industry Dive in September 2021.

Ladders didn't sell its entire business, just the newsletter arm, which had 2.2 million subscribers. That allowed the company to refocus on its core priorities.

We looked at why this deal made sense for both parties:

✉️ Why Ladders sold just one arm of its company, its 2.2M-subscriber daily newsletter​

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Behind the business

When I finally sat down to write my annual review this January, I wasn't psyched about it like I usually am this time of year.

After taking a lot of forced time off in Q4 for various family illnesses (nothing life-threatening, just the respiratory gunk every family is dealing with), and having the kids home for four straight weeks as a result, I was feeling depleted.

But once I got into writing mode—and had some quiet days as the kids went back to school—I could feel things shift.

As I reflected on the last year, I had an ah-ha moment:

I could be disappointed I didn't work as much as planned in Q4 and didn't accomplish what I would've liked...

💡 Or I could feel good about how much I managed to grow the business despite not working as much as I'd hoped.

Over the last year, we grew this brand from nothing more than a seed of an idea into a real company with audience and revenue. That's a real accomplishment, and it's worth repeating to myself when things don't go as planned.

I'll publish that annual review around February 7, which is this company's first birthday. 🎂

See you next time,

Lexi Grant
Founder & CEO
​They Got Acquired​
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Our mission is to redefine startup success by showcasing companies that sell for $100K-$50M. Learn more about us or follow us on Twitter.

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