A founder who takes a real two-week vacation after selling his company and doesn't check in signals he's emotionally checked out. The speaker warns that earn-outs and rollover provisions often strip away enough upside that founders stop caring, then become employees in their own business. Control the deal structure, not just the headline price.
A guy I know bought 10 companies. He kept every owner, and every one of them gave himself away with a vacation. A real vacation. 2 weeks off the grid. No calls. And the business ran fine without them. To the founder, it's a reward. To the buyer, it's a signal flare. If nothing breaks while you're gone, you're emotionally done. The structure assumed you'd stay hungry. While you're coasting, your earnout and rollover are bleeding out. It's not laziness, it's grief. You're an employee in your own house now. See it coming before you sign. Read the control terms harder than the price. Be honest about your stamina. Don't sign a deal you'll regret. The headline price is the story they tell you. The structure is the story you live in. Read the structure. Press on.
