Scaling a software company to global acquisition requires more than initial capital. Founders must navigate economic volatility and build robust operational processes.

Susan Spence joins Tommy Boyle on the Business Answers podcast to discuss the journey of building SoftCo from Dublin into a global procure-to-pay software provider. They examine self-funding strategies, co-founder dynamics, and the realities of exiting a business.

Susan Spence is the co-founder of SoftCo and Manverton, and she chairs the Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan. Recognised as the Irish Tatler Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018, Susan brings decades of expertise in scaling enterprise technology and planning successful corporate exits.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Building a sticky financial process automation product from Dublin
Funding early business operations through traditional banking relationships
Surviving the dot com era and prioritising recurring revenue models
Managing a sibling co-founder partnership over thirty four years
Preparing a company for acquisition through ten consecutive profitable quarters

GUEST DETAILS

Susan Spence is the co-founder of SoftCo, a global procure-to-pay software business built from Dublin that was acquired by Keensight Capital in 2024. She is also the co-founder of Manverton, an investment firm focused on property and the equine industry, and she chairs the Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan. Named Irish Tatler Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018, she brings extensive expertise in scaling enterprise technology, navigating economic downturns, and executing successful corporate exits.

MORE INFORMATION

Business Answers podcast, hosted by expert broker Tommy Boyle, explores the intersection of strategic growth, finance, and exit planning for SME owners and directors. Each episode features business leaders providing actionable insights to successfully scale, increase valuation, and build a sellable, sustainable, and profitable enterprise.

This podcast is produced by DustPod.io for BusinessAnswers.ie

QUOTES

You have to keep trying things. The thing that ends up working, you probably never expect it. - Susan Spence

Our strategy was to dominate the local market first. If you can't sell down the road, what gives you the right to sell in Germany, France, wherever else? - Susan Spence

When you come to the very end and somebody wants to buy you, one of the things they ask you is, give me 10 customers we can talk to. We were able to say, here's our full list. - Susan Spence

KEYWORDS

#SellingABusiness#FinancialProcess#AutomationScaling#CoFounderBusinessPartnership
#BuildingASellableEnterprise

Building a high-growth startup often forces founders to choose between commercial scale and core social values while pushing themselves to the brink of physical exhaustion. Managing these intense pressures requires a structured approach to business leadership, resilience, and executive health.

Our discussion explores how to navigate extreme operational setbacks, prepare for a successful company acquisition, and maintain personal well-being on the entrepreneurial journey. We dissect the strategic realities of unravelling complex cap tables, negotiating with international buyers, and executing post-merger integrations.

Former co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pipit Global Ollie Walsh joins host Tommy Boyle to share first-hand lessons on scaling fintech operations across emerging markets and surviving the intense business exit process.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Launching a fintech startup with social impact at its core
Expanding payment platforms to serve unbanked migrant communities abroad
Navigating sudden business crises and managing severe operational risks
Surviving collapsed acquisition deals and building deep personal resilience
Unravelling cap table complications during a major company sale

GUEST DETAILS

Ollie Walsh is the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of social impact fintech Pipit Global. Over his twelve-year journey, he successfully scaled the business across fifty countries before its acquisition by United States payments firm Qenta. He currently lectures in marketing at the University of Galway and advises growing businesses.

MORE INFORMATION

Business Answers podcast, hosted by expert broker Tommy Boyle, explores the intersection of strategic growth, finance, and exit planning for SME owners and directors. Each episode features business leaders providing actionable insights to successfully scale, increase valuation, and build a sellable, sustainable, and profitable enterprise.
This podcast is produced by DustPod.io for BusinessAnswers.ie

QUOTES

The fit is the main thing. You're not selling what you have. You need to sell what they want or what they need. - Ollie Walsh

You know, it's a dangerous game leaving a full time job to go into a startup, - Ollie Walsh

You need to stay grounded when there's highs and stay focused when there's lows. - Ollie Walsh

KEYWORDS
#Exiting #FounderSelfCare #StartupCapTableManagement #FintechPaymentPlatforms

Building a business with the sole purpose of selling it requires a radical shift in how founders view their daily operations.

Success in this journey demands more than hitting revenue milestones. It requires systematic delegation, strategic advisor alignment, and the courage to step away from delivery. This discussion examines how to build an agency that runs without its founder, handles international expansion, and prepares for a clean acquisition.

Host Tommy Boyle welcomes Kathryn Strachan, former Chief Executive Officer of CopyHouse, to share her journey of scaling to over two million in recurring revenue before executing a clean exit.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Transitioning from freelance copywriter to agency Chief Executive Officer.
Hiring permanent staff to remove the founder from delivery.
Overcoming operational bottlenecks by employing senior creative leadership.
Preparing an agency for acquisition from the very beginning.
Managing the severe personal and physical costs of scaling.

GUEST DETAILS

Kathryn Strachan founded CopyHouse, scaling her B2B technology marketing agency from zero to over thirty employees before its 2024 acquisition. She chronicles this experience in her book, Scaling Success: How to Build a Brand that Breaks Barriers.

Currently a Fractional CMO and GTM leader for UK and US tech firms, Kathryn is a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer for artificial intelligence and technology companies, working as an international speaker and strategist. She also serves as Chair of Mother's Springboard, a charity supporting new mothers re-entering the workforce.

MORE INFORMATION

Business Answers podcast, hosted by expert broker Tommy Boyle, explores the intersection of strategic growth, finance, and exit planning for SME owners and directors. Each episode features business leaders providing actionable insights to successfully scale, increase valuation, and build a sellable, sustainable, and profitable enterprise.

This podcast is produced by DustPod.io for BusinessAnswers.ie

QUOTES

Agencies can't be sold when the founder is stuck in the middle of it because they're essentially valueless. - Kathryn Strachan

If the goal is to sell an agency, you have to get yourself out of it, which means constantly looking at your workload and what you can move off. - Kathryn Strachan

A smarter play is to have these conversations all along and to be nurturing and building. - Kathryn Strachan

KEYWORDS #HowToSellAnAgency#FoundeIidentityShift#ScalingAnAgency#PostExitGrief