Do Most Founders Exit at the Right Time?

Founders often ask whether they exited at the right time. The question usually points to the market. That is rarely the real issue. The right time is not a date, it's a condition from the outside. Buyers look for transferability. Can the company perform without the founder? Do systems hold? Does leadership extend beyond one person? When those conditions exist, timing becomes flexible from the inside. The founders experience readiness differently. Energy shifts. Growth feels heavier. The business no longer fits the founder's life the way it once did. Problems arise when only one side is ready. The founder is ready but the company is not or the company is ready but the founder is not. In both cases, optionality narrows. Founders who exit well prepare for readiness, not timing. They reduce dependency early and reflect honestly on their own readiness to to step away. I am Tom Powell at the Founder's Office. We work with founders who want exit timing to be a choice, not a reaction.