What Brands Look for When Considering Acquiring Software Companies with Carl Hargreaves of WP Engine

Conversation with WP Engine Director of Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Carl Hargreaves.

As you build out your software, SaaS, or digital product business, you may be wondering what form your eventual exit might take. One potential exit is that your company is acquired by a competitor or brand with complimentary technology in your space — but what do brands look for with these types of acquisitions, and how might that affect how you operate, grow, and set the direction of innovation within your business?

In this episode of Growth Stage, co-host David Vogelpohl interviews Carl Hargreaves of WP Engine’s corporate development and strategic partnerships team about his experience running acquisitions of SMB software businesses, including:

• His thoughts on what makes a software company a good target for an acquisition by a brand.
• What factors beyond financials makes a target even more valuable.
• Common operational pitfalls founders should avoid that can make acquisitions more difficult.
• How you should think about building a sellable business.

If you're looking for insights on how to get the most of your eventual exit, don't miss this episode of Growth Stage. Listen now!

Transcript available on the FastSpring blog.

This podcast is brought to you by FastSpring. As the leading merchant of record payment platform for digital products, FastSpring delivers an all-in-one solution for payments, subscriptions, and automated tax compliance—enabling digital businesses to expand globally with reduced complexity and lower costs.