I’m a tech founder who spent 10+ years running Attendify, an event tech company, prior to our exit last year. At our peak we reached $6m ARR with over 2,000 active clients and 80+ employees. I'm exploring what's next and want to stress test my thinking...

Acquisition: I'm starting a search for a business in the Los Angeles area. I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and have no problem running a “boring” business, I really don’t believe in the notion. It’s easy for me to get excited about anything I’m working on. I’m currently building my acquisition thesis and financial model, but there are a few targets that seem attractive… landscaping/nursery, early education, physical therapy (with the right partner). I’m conscious of not buying something too small, eventually a manager will need to take over.

Startup Studio: My goal is to use the cash flow from the acquired business to fund a startup studio working primarily on vertical SaaS. It’s harder than ever to start with one idea and create a successful tech business. It could take 5-10 MVPs and 1-2 years before building something with the potential to become a $10m-$20m ARR business. To that end, I invested in a product agency that is itself focused on helping proven founders build their MVPs and grow tech teams.

I’d love your feedback...

  1. Is anyone in the community running a similar model?
  2. What are the pitfalls that immediately come to mind? Buying too small, spreading yourself too thin, etc?
  3. From an acquisition standpoint, what are the industries to avoid?