Andrew Gazdecki joins Kaustubh Deo and Sam Rosati for a wide-ranging conversation on building, buying, and selling small businesses. Andrew shares the origin story of acquire.com, from selling his first startup to realizing how broken the small business M&A process was for founders. The discussion explores how sales, market selection, and distribution matter more than perfect products, along with the realities of valuation in small tech-enabled businesses. The episode also dives into Andrew's personal journey, including burnout, delegation, and redefining success as a founder.

They discuss:

Why sales is the most important role for owners of small businesses under $3–5M in revenue
How acquire.com evolved from a side project into a marketplace with thousands of closed transactions
The difference between startup-style valuations and how small businesses are actually priced and sold
What makes a strong buyer in competitive acquisition processes, and why trust often beats price
Lessons from burnout, delegating control, and building a company that supports long-term personal fulfillment

Support our Sponsors:

The Kalmar Group is a recruitment firm who partners with small business owners around the nation to find Manager to VP level hires in sales, marketing, operations, and finance across multiple niche industries.

Website: ⁠https://www.thekalmargroup.com⁠

Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/thesmbrecruiter⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanscroggins/⁠

Aspen HR

Please contact our valued sponsor Aspen HR (www.aspenhr.com, ⁠sales@aspenhr.com⁠) for a quote on PEO services and a complimentary HR due diligence assessment

Links:

Kaustubh on Substack - ⁠https://bigdealsmallbusiness.substack.com/p/read-me-first⁠

Sam on X - ⁠https://x.com/Sam_Rosati⁠

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