M&A Advice and Sale Process Management for Founder-Led SaaS Companies
Selling a software company is not just about finding a buyer. It is about understanding your options, preparing for buyer scrutiny, choosing the right timing, and running a process that supports your personal and financial goals.
I help SaaS and software company owners decide whether a sale makes sense, what the market is likely to value, and how to approach qualified buyers when the time is right.
Software Industry Background
I spent years in enterprise software and understand the difference between real recurring revenue, project work, implementation revenue, customer concentration, churn, and scalable growth.
Former Business Owner
I have owned and sold my own business, so I understand the personal weight of deciding whether to sell.
No Pressure to Sell
If the business is not ready, the timing is wrong, or the likely market outcome does not support your goals, I will tell you directly.
Advisor-Led Process
You work directly with me from the first conversation through buyer outreach, LOIs, diligence, and closing.
Good M&A Advice Starts Before the Sale Process
Not every business should go to market immediately. Some owners are ready to sell now. Others need time to improve financial reporting, reduce dependence on the owner, address customer concentration, strengthen the team, or wait for better market conditions.
My role is to help you think through the decision clearly.
I help owners answer questions like:
- Is now the right time to sell?
- What is the business realistically worth?
- What will buyers worry about?
- Which buyers are most likely to understand the company?
- What deal terms should be accepted, negotiated, or avoided?
- Would waiting 6-18 months likely improve the outcome?
If a sale process makes sense, I help manage it. If preparation is the better answer, I will say that.
Who I Work With
I primarily advise owners of founder-led SaaS, software, and technology-enabled service companies.
The best fit is usually a company with:
- $2 million to $10 million in ARR or recurring software revenue
- $3 million to $20 million in total revenue
- Meaningful profitability or a clear path to profitability
- A real customer base, not just code or intellectual property
- Low customer concentration
- Reasonable churn
- A team that can operate without the founder handling every key function
I also work with select B2B service companies, including IT services, MSPs, digital agencies, accounting firms, and other recurring or repeat-revenue service businesses.
When Going to Market Makes Sense
A sale process is worth running when the business is likely to attract serious buyer interest, and the owner is prepared to evaluate real offers.
That usually means the company has clean financials, explainable revenue, a credible growth story, and a seller who understands that buyers will focus on risk as much as upside.
The strongest processes usually involve:
- Clear financial performance
- Defensible revenue quality
- Low churn or explainable churn
- Limited customer concentration
- A capable team
- Realistic valuation expectations
- A seller who is ready to engage seriously with qualified buyers
The goal is not to “shop the business around.” The goal is to create a controlled process with the right buyers, the right information, and the right level of competition.
A Quiet, Structured Sale Process
When a sale makes sense, I manage a confidential process designed to protect the business while creating real buyer interest.
The process usually includes:
- Understanding your goals
- Reviewing financials, revenue quality, churn, concentration, team structure, and buyer risks
- Developing a realistic view of value and likely buyer interest
- Preparing confidential buyer materials
- Identifying and contacting qualified buyers
- Managing NDAs, buyer questions, meetings, and LOIs
- Helping compare offers based on price, terms, certainty, and fit
- Supporting the process through diligence, purchase agreement negotiation, and closing
You do not need hundreds of random conversations. You need the right buyers, a disciplined process, and clear advice at each decision point.
I Do Not Take Every Company to Market
A sale process only makes sense when there is a realistic path to qualified buyer interest, acceptable deal terms, and a closing that supports the owner’s goals.
I am not the right advisor for every business or every situation. I generally do not work with pre-revenue startups, code-only assets, distressed companies, restaurants, retail stores, or owners who only want to “see what happens” without a serious reason to explore a sale.
I also do not create inflated valuation expectations to win an engagement. A high headline valuation number is not useful if the buyer cannot close, the structure is unacceptable, or the offer depends on unrealistic future performance.
My work is based on practical advice, market reality, buyer quality, and deal certainty. If the business is not ready, the timing is wrong, or preparation would likely improve the outcome, I will say that directly.
Meet David Jacobs
I am a California-based M&A advisor and licensed business broker focused on founder-led SaaS, software, and technology-enabled service companies.
Before advising business owners, I spent years in enterprise software and owned a business myself. I understand both the operating side and the emotional side of deciding whether to sell.
My role is to give owners direct advice, help them understand the market, and manage a confidential sale process when selling is the right decision.
Thinking about Selling in the Next 12-24 Months?
The best time to start a conversation is often before you are ready to go to market.
A confidential fit call can help you understand whether your business is likely to attract qualified buyers, what issues may need to be addressed, and whether a sale process makes sense now or later.
What Makes a Business “Marketable” vs. Just “Sellable”
The Hidden Risks That Surface During Due Diligence and How Sellers Can Prepare
