Ep. 80 From Start-Up To Exit In Three Years

Published: Feb. 1, 2017, 9 a.m.

Peter Shankman started Help A Reporter Out (HARO) to connect experts with journalists who needed people to quote for stories. HARO sent a simple email three times a day to subscribers and because every email had the potential to be a reporter from a media outlet like The New York Times, the email open rates were close to 80%. Most days Shankman worked from his sofa with two employees helping him remotely. 

Within three years, Shankman was generating $1.5MM from selling simple text ads on his email blasts. That’s when Shankman’s largest advertiser approached him to buy HARO. In the episode you’ll learn:

  • the remarkable relationship between ADHD and entrepreneurship
  • the surprising upside of selling instead of scaling your business
  • the truth about who is most likely to buy your business
  • the best way to find a strategic buyer for your company