You already know which call it is.
You’ve moved it three times this month.
Decision Cost Calculator
Slide it to what’s true, not what’s flattering.
Pick the decision you're sitting on
Growth left on the table — topline you're not capturing because you're still running the day-to-day instead of the company.
$750K
This is the floor. Downstream hires, culture drift, deals you never got to. Not in the number.
Not ready for a call? Send me the number and I'll tell you what I'd do about it.
Goes straight to me. No sequence.
Feel accurate?
Michael Schuerman. Operating Partner. Zillow. PLACE.
The second number
The bigger number is what it costs the company you'll sell.
Earnings multiple on a founder-dependent business. The buyer's discounting you out of it.
Earnings multiple on a business that runs without you. Same profit. Different company.
On $2M in profit, that’s the gap between a $4M exit and a $14M one.
You can keep paying the number.
Or apply for a call. If it's a fit, you'll get a firm price before you commit to anything.
Not sure what seat you’re hiring for? Fractional COO vs Operating Partner