2026 MIT 10th Annual ETA Conference: Key Takeaways

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March 02, 2026

by a searcher from University of Massachusetts Amherst - Isenberg School of Management in Boston, MA, USA

I want to extend a huge thank you to the community members who shared the MIT conference and tagged me. I likely would have missed it otherwise, and as my first foray into the space, it was an invaluable learning experience. For those who couldn't attend, here are the primary takeaways from the 10th Annual Conference: - The #1 advice remains: "Don’t do a Search Fund." - The Market: Too much capital, too few quality deals. Be selective. The ecosystem has changed a lot, but there are still opportunities - Go "Old School": Everyone is using AI for outreach. To win, pick up the phone, meet in person, and ditch the generic "legacy" script. - Keep it Simple: Buy a "6th-grade level" business. If it’s too complex to explain, it’s too complex to run. - The 90-Day Goal: You should be able to operate without the previous owner after three months. - Post-Close Reality: Expect it to be difficult. "Embrace the suck" once the deal is done. What do you guys think?
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from Columbia University in Jersey City, NJ, USA
Very interesting! Wish I could have made it. Curious, what was the reasoning behind not doing a search fund?
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Reply by a searcher
from University of Massachusetts Amherst in Boston, MA, USA
It's the typical Litmus Test. If it scares you off, you aren't ready for the grind.
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