He Built the Perfect Exit. It Nearly Broke Him - With Ian Goodwin

<p>Every founder dreams of building a successful business and one day selling it.</p><p>Ian Goodwin did exactly that.</p><p>After founding Cludo, scaling it rapidly and navigating an acquisition during the uncertainty of COVID, Ian achieved what many founders spend their careers chasing. But what followed wasn&#39;t the finish line he expected. The pressure of earn-out targets, leading a team through constant change, and carrying the weight of everyone else&#39;s certainty eventually led to complete burnout.</p><p>In this episode, Ian shares the reality behind selling a business, why acquisitions are far more emotionally complex than most founders realise, how COVID nearly derailed everything, and the moment he genuinely questioned whether he could keep going. It&#39;s an honest conversation about leadership, resilience, burnout and why success often comes with costs nobody prepares you for. </p><p><strong>You&#39;ll hear:</strong></p><p>0:00 Why selling a business isn&#39;t the finish line most founders imagine</p><p>6:40 Growing up, competitive cycling and the first signs of entrepreneurship</p><p>15:55 Building Cludo and choosing co-founders with the exit already in mind</p><p>20:10 Winning the client that changed everything</p><p>24:20 Navigating acquisition conversations during COVID</p><p>29:10 Planning for the worst-case scenario as the world shut down3</p><p>5:15 Leading a business while privately fearing it could all collapse</p><p>42:20 What due diligence is really like from a founder&#39;s perspective</p><p>49:00 Why some employees weren&#39;t happy the business was sold</p><p>54:20 The hidden pressure of earn-out targets58:30 The burnout that almost made Ian walk away from everything</p><p>1:06:10 Why selling the business changed how he thought about work</p><p>1:10:50 The biggest lesson every founder should learn before starting a business</p><p><br></p><p>See behind the scenes over at<a href="https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/"> <u>https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/</u></a></p><p>Or LinkedIn -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/"> <u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business, reach out over at<a href="https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/"> <u>https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Hit follow wherever you&#39;re listening so you don&#39;t miss a single episode.</p><p><br></p>