Search Party | For Searcher CEOs, Exit Planning Starts at the Beginning of the ETA Journey

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March 10, 2026

by a professional from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Campus in Minneapolis, MN, USA

Search Party features a rotating roster of guests who explore the unique opportunities, market dynamics, and best practices shaping the ETA ecosystem. In this episode, host David Snow is joined by Francis Burton of ECA Partners, along with Boulay’s own Nathan Faith, Wealth Management Partner, and Ryan Turbes, Partner, to discuss why exit planning for Entrepreneurs-Through-Acquisition (ETAs) must start on day one. https://boulaygroup.com/search-party-for-searcher-ceos-exit-planning-starts-at-the-beginning-of-the-eta-journey/
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Reply by a professional
from University of California, Hastings College of Law in Petaluma, California, United States
Love this, but we argue you should push the timeline back even further. The exit is being shaped during diligence, whether you realize it or not. Good commercial DD isn't just about deciding whether to buy, it's about understanding the growth levers, customer dynamics, and market positioning that will ultimately drive your exit multiple. The buyers we work with who come in with that lens during diligence are almost always better positioned at the other end. By the time you're at day one, some of those insights, and the decisions they should drive, are already being left on the table. Which, knowing your network, means this conversation was probably already happening over coffee six months before LOI anyway. 😄
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from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Portland, OR, USA
Sent you a DM @redacted‌
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