Five Lessons from Built to Sell Every Founder Should Know
The Book That Guided Me Through Selling My Company. Twice.
In an earlier SoberFounder article, I wrote about how This Naked Mind by Annie Grace was the book that changed everything for me around sobriety. It gave me clarity, language, and a framework that finally made change stick.
What surprised me later was realizing the same thing can happen in business.
When it came time to sell my company, Seir Hill, Built to Sell played a similar role. It didn’t just explain the mechanics of selling a business. It helped me think differently about what I was building and why.
Here are five takeaways from the book that shaped how I approached the sale.
1. A Book Can Replace a Very Expensive Advisor
Selling a business is one of the most financially and emotionally intense decisions a founder makes. Many entrepreneurs assume they need a small army of advisors just to get oriented.
What Built to Sell gave me was strategic clarity. At multiple points in the process, I found myself returning to it for reassurance and perspective. It consistently lined up with the real-world challenges I was facing, often answering questions I hadn’t fully formed yet.
It felt less like a business book and more like having a calm, experienced advisor in the room.
2. The Sale Follows a Predictable Path
One of the most valuable things Warrillow does is lay out the typical arc of a business sale. Once I understood that arc, the process felt far less mysterious.
As I read, I could see exactly where Seir Hill was on that path. That alone removed a lot of anxiety. Instead of reacting emotionally to each new development, I had context. I knew what was normal, what was coming next, and where I needed to be prepared.
Clarity replaces fear very quickly.
3. Not All Buyers Are the Right Buyers
One of the book’s most important lessons is that buyers fall into distinct categories, and those categories matter.
Before reading Built to Sell, I thought selling a business was mostly about finding someone willing to write a check. The book shifted that mindset completely. The goal is not just to find a buyer, but to find the right buyer.
That insight saved time, energy, and likely a lot of frustration. It helped me focus on strategic buyers who aligned with my goals, rather than chasing interest that would never lead to the right outcome.
4. Negotiation Is About Perspective, Not Pressure
Negotiation is often the most intimidating part of a sale. The stakes are high, and most founders only go through it once.
What Built to Sell does well is reframe negotiation as a perspective exercise. It teaches you to see your business the way a buyer sees it. When you understand that lens, you stop negotiating emotionally and start negotiating strategically.
That shift alone increased my confidence and helped me present Seir Hill in a way that highlighted its real value.
5. The Best Books Travel With You to the Finish Line
Most business books are read once and shelved. A few become references. Very few become companions.
For me, This Naked Mind was that companion during sobriety. Built to Sell was that companion during the sale of my company.
It didn’t just provide information. It provided steadiness. And when you are navigating a major transition, that steadiness matters.
If you are an entrepreneur who thinks you might sell one day, even if that day feels far off, this is a book worth reading early. It will not just prepare you for a transaction. It will change how you think about what you are building in the first place.
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