For founders who built a software company without big venture rounds, the exit playbook looks different. Raising little or nothing keeps your options open, but it also means you have to build a company worth buying without the fuel VC-backed peers spend on sales, marketing, and product. In this episode, Mike Lyon sits down with Greg Head, founder of Practical Founders, to discuss how bootstrapped SaaS founders keep their optionality, why AI is shifting the calculus for smaller and middle-market software companies, and the specific steps to prepare for a transaction on your own terms.

Vista Point Advisors is a boutique sell-side investment bank providing unconflicted M&A and capital raising advice to founder-led software, AI, and internet businesses. We partner with entrepreneurs of growing businesses to help them understand their options in the marketplace so they can maximize business value, leverage their options, and realize their ideal outcomes.

Securities offered through Vista Point Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. This has been provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation. It is not intended to address all circumstances that might arise. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue. Opinions contained herein should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results. Outcomes will vary depending on individual circumstances. Any examples used in this material are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. Testimonials from past clients may not be representative of the experience of other clients and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Clients are not compensated for their comments.

When founders picture selling their company, they often focus on one thing: the price. But who sits on the other side of the table shapes far more than valuation. It changes how the deal gets structured, how fast it moves, what buyers dig into during diligence, and what life looks like after closing. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Jeff Bean discuss the different buyer types software founders are most likely to meet, how they think about value, and what founders should weigh before deciding who fits.

Vista Point Advisors is a boutique sell-side investment bank providing unconflicted M&A and capital raising advice to founder-led software, AI, and internet businesses. We partner with entrepreneurs of growing businesses to help them understand their options in the marketplace so they can maximize business value, leverage their options, and realize their ideal outcomes.

Securities offered through Vista Point Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. This has been provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation. It is not intended to address all circumstances that might arise. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue. Opinions contained herein should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results. Outcomes will vary depending on individual circumstances. Any examples used in this material are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. Testimonials from past clients may not be representative of the experience of other clients and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Clients are not compensated for their comments.

When does a software deal typically fall apart? What issues surface in diligence that can derail a close or lead to a retrade? In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Scott Austin discuss the most common reasons deals break down, the potential surprises founders need to prepare for, and how the right groundwork can help you preserve leverage and keep a process on track from LOI to close.

Vista Point Advisors is a boutique sell-side investment bank providing unconflicted M&A and capital raising advice to founder-led software, AI, and internet businesses. We partner with entrepreneurs of growing businesses to help them understand their options in the marketplace so they can maximize business value, leverage their options, and realize their ideal outcomes.

Securities offered through Vista Point Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. This has been provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation. It is not intended to address all circumstances that might arise. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue. Opinions contained herein should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results. Outcomes will vary depending on individual circumstances. Any examples used in this material are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. Testimonials from past clients may not be representative of the experience of other clients and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Clients are not compensated for their comments.

AI has changed what buyers consider a defensible software business, and the gap between companies that command a premium and those facing a potential discount is widening. For founders, where your software sits in the AI stack now shapes valuation almost as much as growth does. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Miles Lacey discuss what makes software essential rather than replaceable, the questions buyers ask in diligence to test defensibility, and the steps founders can take to strengthen their position. If you are not sure where your business lands, it is a conversation worth having early.

Vista Point Advisors is a boutique sell-side investment bank providing unconflicted M&A and capital raising advice to founder-led software, AI, and internet businesses. We partner with entrepreneurs of growing businesses to help them understand their options in the marketplace so they can maximize business value, leverage their options, and realize their ideal outcomes.

Securities offered through Vista Point Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. This has been provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation. It is not intended to address all circumstances that might arise. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue. Opinions contained herein should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results. Outcomes will vary depending on individual circumstances. Any examples used in this material are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. Testimonials from past clients may not be representative of the experience of other clients and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Clients are not compensated for their comments.

Choosing the wrong M&A attorney can slow your deal, cost you on terms, and in some cases, put the whole transaction at risk. Yet most software founders give this decision far less thought than it deserves. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Mike Greco discuss what to look for in a lawyer who specializes in software deals, the most common mistakes founders make when selecting legal counsel, and the specific questions every founder should ask before making the hire.

Vista Point Advisors is a boutique sell-side investment bank providing unconflicted M&A and capital raising advice to founder-led software, AI, and internet businesses. We partner with entrepreneurs of growing businesses to help them understand their options in the marketplace so they can maximize business value, leverage their options, and realize their ideal outcomes.

Securities offered through Vista Point Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. This has been provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation. It is not intended to address all circumstances that might arise. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue. Opinions contained herein should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results. Outcomes will vary depending on individual circumstances. Any examples used in this material are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. Testimonials from past clients may not be representative of the experience of other clients and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Clients are not compensated for their comments.

AI is reshaping what buyers and investors look for in software businesses faster than most founders realize, and many are still operating with an outdated playbook. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Jeff Koons break down what is driving the so-called SaaSpocalypse, why we think it is more of a market re-rating than a collapse, what criteria investors are now using to evaluate software companies, and what concrete steps founders can take right now to assess and help strengthen their position.

Vista Point Advisors is a boutique sell-side investment bank providing unconflicted M&A and capital raising advice to founder-led software, AI, and internet businesses. We partner with entrepreneurs of growing businesses to help them understand their options in the marketplace so they can maximize business value, leverage their options, and realize their ideal outcomes.

Securities offered through Vista Point Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. This has been provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation. It is not intended to address all circumstances that might arise. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue. Opinions contained herein should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results. Outcomes will vary depending on individual circumstances. Any examples used in this material are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. Testimonials from past clients may not be representative of the experience of other clients and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Clients are not compensated for their comments.

When is the right time to sell your business or raise capital? And why would you consider a transaction when business is booming? Founders often delay selling or raising capital when their company is performing so well, yet that is frequently when buyers and investors pay the most attention. In this episode, managing directors Mike Lyon and Jeff Koons revisit The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma to unpack how founders should think about timing a transaction, ways to reduce risk in the process, and practical steps that can help maximize outcomes when the time comes.

Vista Point Advisors is a boutique sell-side investment bank providing unconflicted M&A and capital raising advice to founder-led software, AI, and internet businesses. We partner with entrepreneurs of growing businesses to help them understand their options in the marketplace so they can maximize business value, leverage their options, and realize their ideal outcomes.

Securities offered through Vista Point Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. This has been provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation. It is not intended to address all circumstances that might arise. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue. Opinions contained herein should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results. Outcomes will vary depending on individual circumstances. Any examples used in this material are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. Testimonials from past clients may not be representative of the experience of other clients and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Clients are not compensated for their comments.

Retention is becoming an increasingly important factor in how software companies are valued, and many founders are not prepared for the level of scrutiny buyers are applying to these metrics. In this episode, managing director Mike Lyon and senior associate Sarabeth Sandweiss explain why retention has become a key valuation driver, how investors evaluate it, where founders often get the math wrong, and how they can help avoid diligence surprises while positioning your company for a stronger outcome.

Vista Point Advisors is a boutique sell-side investment bank providing unconflicted M&A and capital raising advice to founder-led software, AI, and internet businesses. We partner with entrepreneurs of growing businesses to help them understand their options in the marketplace so they can maximize business value, leverage their options, and realize their ideal outcomes.

Securities offered through Vista Point Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. This has been provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation. It is not intended to address all circumstances that might arise. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue. Opinions contained herein should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results. Outcomes will vary depending on individual circumstances. Any examples used in this material are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. Testimonials from past clients may not be representative of the experience of other clients and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Clients are not compensated for their comments.