Most founders dream of a life-changing exit. But few actually prepare for it, until it’s too late.
In this episode of Fundraising Demystified, I sit down with John Rood, an exited founder who scaled a tutoring side hustle into a global edtech business, and sold it for over eight figures to private equity.John also shares the story behind his book Beyond the Exit and why post-exit life is often not what you think it will be.
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We talk:
00:00 – The Brutal Truth No One Tells Founders
02:04 – How John Turned Tutoring into SaaS Gold
05:21 – The Finance Hack That Boosted His Valuation
07:10 – What Really Kicks Off an Exit
11:08 – The $10M Mistake Founders Keep Making
13:59 – What’s Actually Enough for You?
17:01 – Why Most Founders Regret Life After Exit
22:52 – Angel Investing: The Ego Trap No One Admits
28:22 – The Weirdly Happy Knife Founder Story
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About John Rood
John Rood is the author of Beyond the Exit and the founder of one of the world’s leading pre-med test prep businesses. After scaling the company into a content-and-software powerhouse, he exited for over eight figures to a private equity firm. He now advises founders on exit strategy and post-exit reinvention, drawing from both his wins and the emotional landmines no one warns you about.
Connect with John: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrood1/
Get the book: https://www.beyondtheexitbook.com/
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