July 28, 2025
The Wrapper Economy: Trillions Built Layer by Layer
By looka_production_211364385 July 7, 2025
Build a Company That Sells Itself - Literally
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How to Value Your Company When There’s No Value
May 9, 2025
Everyone loves a good startup horror story...
By looka_production_211364385 March 29, 2025
Come on Fish... Climb! You’ve probably heard the old saying: “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it’s stupid.” We’ve seen this play out in business more times than we can count. Some founders are visionaries, market whisperers, dealmakers — but try to stick them in the daily grind of operations and it’s like asking a fish to tackle rock climbing. Not only is it exhausting, it’s misaligned with how they’re wired. Let's face it, when you are running a company you play a lot of different roles. And when you’re spending your days swimming upstream in a tree, no amount of good advice is going to save you. We used to be the consultants in the room — spotting inefficiencies, offering strategy, handing over neat playbooks. Some founders took the ball and ran. Others looked at us with tired eyes and said, “That’s great. Can you just do it?” Eventually, we listened. Helping founders build systems, prep for investment, and find leverage will always be meaningful work. But over time, it became clear: advice wasn’t enough. What many founders needed wasn’t another plan. They needed a partner who could operate — who could build the structure, bring in the people, and drive the execution. That was the shift. Now, we look for businesses with strong fundamentals and untapped potential — not perfect ones, just real ones. And we roll up our sleeves. We fix what’s broken. We scale what’s working. We implement what used to be sitting in a pretty slide deck. We’re not perfect. No acquirer is. But we’ve been in the weeds. We’ve seen what happens when a company runs on charisma and caffeine. And we know the difference between a business with potential, and a business with a plan to reach it. Our role has evolved, but the mission hasn’t: help founders create real freedom — whether that means scaling with support or stepping into their next chapter. P.S. If your inbox feels more like a war zone than a workspace, there’s probably a better way to run the business. No silver bullets, no magic wands — just a practical, repeatable path to building a company that doesn’t need you to carry it every day. Thanks for reading — and do well.
By looka_production_211364385 March 29, 2025
The Silent Killer - Founder Drag No, I'm not talking top fuel funny cars or size 13 high heels, I'm talking about where a capable, visionary founder (that’s you!) becomes the very reason the company can’t scale. Not because you’re not good at what you do, but because you’re trying to do too much of it, all the time. Symptoms of founder drag include: Projects that never quite get finished A team that waits for permission instead of taking initiative Revenue that flatlines despite everyone "working really hard" Getting unstuck often starts with rethinking your role: Delegate outcomes, not tasks: If you’re still the safety net, people won’t take ownership. Automate anything repetitive: If you say, "This will only take me five minutes," more than once a day, you’ve got automation opportunities. Rebuild the org chart: Structure the business for outcomes, not ego. Here’s the irony: the more you get out of the way, the faster things tend to move. It’s not about doing less. It’s about doing less of the wrong things. Unnerving as it may feel, this will benefit you and the company many ways. Thanks for reading and do well!
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