When is a searcher “ready”?

I’ve been brooding on this post for a while, and on vacation now — a great time to sit and get some thoughts down. So, when is a searcher “ready” to acquire and run a business? It’s for discussion, not an answer here. In my opinion, it’s 1% about deal structuring, due diligence, closing, etc. and 99% about leadership, management and execution post-transaction. Visualizing yourself in the driver’s seat is helpful because the deal will close, and that’s very exciting (and one of my favorite parts), but then you’ve got to run the business. Questions to ask yourself: - how strongly do you feel about your leadership skills? - how do people feel about you as a leader? How do you know? - have you ever managed a P&L? - have you dealt with difficult people problems before? - do you have good balance in life, and are you ready to have that tested in a way that it’s never been before? - and lastly, how confident are you that your vision will compel others to succeed? I had 25 years of experience before I started my ETA journey, putting me probably on the far right side of the bell curve. But I got a lot of experience, tools, exposure, and network built that have made my transition easier on me. I’m ready to thrive now. I’m eager to hear about others’ experiences with this topic and learn more. One thing that I find about these jobs is that they are very lonely — so it’s helpful to have a community out there to exchange with that all support this wild ETA journey.