Welcome to THE EXIT – where the world’s most successful founders reveal how they built, scaled, and sold their companies for 8, 9, and even 10 figures.
Hosted by entrepreneur, advisor, and founder of THE EXIT GROUP (http://www.theexit.group), Adrian Salamunovic, THE EXIT Podcast delivers rare, candid conversations with tech, SaaS, and e-commerce founders who’ve done the hard thing: exited. We go beyond the headlines to unpack what really happened—how the deals came together, what almost killed them, and what life looks like after the wire clears.
If you're a founder planning a future exit—or want to learn how the world’s top entrepreneurs think—this is where you'll find insights you won’t hear anywhere else.
– Startup acquisitions & M&A strategy
– Real founder exit stories
– How to sell your company for maximum value
– Post-exit wealth, purpose & reinvention
Welcome to THE EXIT – where the world’s most successful founders reveal how they built, scaled, and sold their companies for 8, 9, and even 10 figures.
Hosted by entrepreneur, advisor, and founder of THE EXIT GROUP (http://www.theexit.group), Adrian Salamunovic, THE EXIT Podcast delivers rare, candid conversations with tech, SaaS, and e-commerce founders who’ve done the hard thing: exited. We go beyond the headlines to unpack what really happened—how the deals came together, what almost killed them, and what life looks like after the wire clears.
If you're a founder planning a future exit—or want to learn how the world’s top entrepreneurs think—this is where you'll find insights you won’t hear anywhere else.
– Startup acquisitions & M&A strategy
– Real founder exit stories
– How to sell your company for maximum value
– Post-exit wealth, purpose & reinvention
In this episode of The EXIT Podcast, we sit down with Solon Angel, the founder of MindBridge and now co-founder of Remitian https://remitian.com (formerly Taxpay), a man whose success is defined not by wealth, but by integrity, grit, and purpose.Solon shares his remarkable journey from growing up amid poverty and violence in Brazil to building one of Canada’s most successful AI ventures. His story is one of resilience, accountability, and relentless character, a man who believes in keeping his hands clean and head held high.From grinding corporate in Silicon Valley to leading multimillion-dollar enterprises, Solon opens up about the cost of entrepreneurship, the discipline of doing hard things, and the duty of founders to build responsibly. He also shares how he’s now channeling that fire into Remitian; an AI startup simplifying how accountants and citizens pay taxes — making one of accounting's biggest pains bearable through automation and design.🔑 You’ll LearnHow Solon built and scaled MindBridge into a global AI companyWhy integrity and accountability are non-negotiable for true successThe mental “exit” every founder faces after the scale-upWhy partial liquidity matters for founder sanityHow his upbringing shaped his philosophy of work, purpose, and prideThe vision behind Remitian — and why paying taxes can be an act of civic duty📍 About Solon Angel:Solon Angel is an entrepreneur, investor, and builder known for his role in creating MindBridge, a leading AI platform transforming financial auditing. Now at Remitian, he’s redefining how governments and citizens connect through technology. Solon has lived in over six countries, speaks multiple languages, and remains a champion of integrity, purpose, and hard work in every venture he touches.🧠 Subscribe to The EXIT Podcast for more unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve built, sold, and reinvented themselves.Hosted by Adrian Salamunovic🎧 Presented by The EXIT Group® & Morgan Stanley⏱️ Timestamps0:00:00 – Introduction & Solon’s Definition of Startup Success0:01:19 – The Evolution of Commerce/Trust & Technology0:04:38 – AI’s Role in Magnifying Human Capabilities0:05:14 – Solon’s Career: California to Canada & Early Challenges0:08:18 – Lessons in Entrepreneurship & Corporate Culture0:09:12 – Startup Mindset and Personal Hardship0:13:23 – Transition into AI, Exceptional Based Reporting0:16:07 – Starting MindBridge: Motivation, Funding, and Early Wins0:22:47 – Building Out the MindBridge Team & Co-founders0:26:30 – Growth, Management, and Mental “Exit”0:32:44 – Staying Beyond the Exit, Helping Startups, New Ventures0:42:23 – Vision for Remitian0:44:52 – Lightning Round: Advice & Success Definitions0:47:38 – Episode Wrap-up & Closing Thoughts💬 Leave us a comment and don't forget to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode – it helps us grow and reach more founders.🔗 Follow the Guests & HostsTHE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.groupInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/theexit.groupSolon Angel – https://www.linkedin.com/in/innovationforallAdrian Salamunovic – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriansalamunovic/
In this episode of The EXIT Podcast, we sit down with Aydin Mirzaee, co-founder of FluidSurveys and now CEO of Fellow.app. Aydin shares how he built and scaled FluidSurveys into a major player in the online survey space — only to sell it to their sworn enemy, SurveyMonkey. What looked like a dream exit turned into a temporary identity crisis, forcing him to question who he was without the company he built.Aydin opens up about navigating that existential low, why exits don’t always equal happiness, and how he ultimately found his next chapter building Fellow, a market leader in the meeting note taking space powered by AI. From building against the odds, to selling to a rival, to rebuilding meaning after the payday — this episode is raw, insightful, and packed with lessons for every founder.🎧 Listen now to learn:What it’s like to sell your startup to your biggest competitorWhy the “post-exit high” can quickly turn into a personal lowHow Aydin rebuilt confidence and clarity to start againWhat he’s doing differently at Fellow to align purpose with business📍 About Aydin Mirzaee:Aydin is a Canadian entrepreneur and the co-founder of FluidSurveys, acquired by SurveyMonkey in 2014. Today he leads Fellow.app, a meeting productivity platform backed by top investors, and advocates for healthier, more intentional company cultures.🧠 Subscribe to The EXIT Podcast for more unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve built, sold, and reinvented themselves.Timestamps:0:00:00 – Introduction & Aydin’s Early Entrepreneurial Journey0:01:47 – Founding Fluid Surveys & Entering a Crowded Market0:04:01 – Finding a Niche: Accessibility & Canadian Data Sovereignty0:05:55 – Pivoting to Enterprise & Discovering High-Value Customers0:10:38 – The Role of Co-Founders and Experience in Startup Success0:14:54 – Bootstrapping, Growth, and Financial Struggles0:17:29 – First Contact with SurveyMonkey: Friend or Foe?0:23:47 – Acquisition Negotiations: Tactics and Challenges0:30:24 – Custom Contracts and Due Diligence Hurdles0:32:54 – Employee Buy-In and Closing Conditions0:36:40 – Timeline of the Exit Process & Competing Offers0:40:57 – Negotiating the Sale Price & Currency Lessons0:46:43 – Life After the Exit: Identity and Finding the Next Venture0:49:35 – Overcoming Overthinking: The Importance of Starting and Pivoting0:55:52 – Lessons for Founders Considering an Exit0:57:56 – Providing Context and Transparency Post-Acquisition1:03:59 – Life-Changing Impact of the Exit & Personal Reflections1:12:39 – Giving Back: Helping Other Founders and Angel Investing1:17:25 – Final Advice: The Journey, Compounding, and Moving the Needle💬 Leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode – it helps us grow and reach more founders.🔗 Follow the Guests & HostsTHE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.groupInstagram – /theexit.groupAydin Mirzaee – /aydinmirzaeeAdrian Salamunovic – /adriansalamunovic
What does it really take to sell your company for life-changing money?In this episode of THE EXIT, I sit down with Mark Macleod — former CFO of Shopify and FreshBooks, founder of SurePath Capital, and the coach behind over $1B in successful exits — to uncover the real truth behind the startup exit process.We talk about:- The biggest mistakes founders make during an exit- The psychology of selling your company (and what comes after)- Why most earn-outs are traps- How Marc built his post-exit life around mindfulness, purpose, and founder performance- Tactical advice on aligning with acquirers and investment bankers- Why your physical and mental health are the #1 growth tools as a founderIf you're building, scaling, or selling a venture-backed startup, this is the episode you can't afford to miss.Subscribe for more real conversations with world-class founders, investors, and M&A experts.🔖 Timestamps00:00 Introduction of Mark Macleod01:00 Mark's Background in Venture-Backed Startups02:15 Yahoo Purchasing Facebook?04:30 What Makes for a Successful Acquisition?06:24 Why I Avoid Earnouts07:55 Psychological Aspects of Selling a Company09:55 Founder Burnout and Recovery Time12:36 Importance of Being Present13:20 Fitness and Mental Health for CEOs20:00 The Role of Coaching in Startups21:34 Operational Experience in Coaching26:20 Two Things You Need to Succeed in Business29:04 What Founders Get Wrong Pre-Exit32:30 Should Founders Work With I-Bankers and When?41:28 Avoiding Exit Landmines48:24 Coaching and Providing Tough Feedback49:44 Creating a Massive Business You Never Want to Exit🔗 Follow the Guests & HostsTHE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.group
Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/theexit.group Mark Macleod – https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/
Adrian Salamunovic – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriansalamunovic/#startup #founderlife #exitstrategy #venturecapital #marcmacleod #adriansalamunovic #theexitpodcast #shopify #freshbooks #burnout #startupcoach #founderhealth #startupmistakes #mna #founderexit
Marc Lafleur: From Rock Bottom to Multimillion Dollar Exit – The EXIT Podcast
In this episode of The EXIT Podcast, we sit down with Marc Lafleur, the co-founder of truLOCAL, who went from facing depression to exiting a multimillion-dollar meat delivery company. Marc opens up about how hitting rock bottom gave him the clarity he needed to take big risks, how he bootstrapped his way to 8 figures, and why the real work started after the exit.
From mental health to hustle culture, from raising capital to learning to let go, this one is raw, inspiring, and packed with lessons for any founder or aspiring entrepreneur.
🎧 Listen now to learn:
The truth about what drove Marc to start truLOCAL
The mindset shift that helped him break through fear when nobody believed in him
How he approached scaling without losing the soul of the brand
What he wishes more founders talked about post-exit
📍 About Marc Lafleur:
Marc is a Canadian entrepreneur, speaker, and advocate for mental health in business. After exiting truLOCAL in a major acquisition, he’s focused on inspiring the next generation of builders to find purpose beyond the money.
🧠 Subscribe to The EXIT Podcast for more unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve built, and sold their companies – and what came next.
💬 Leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode – it helps us grow and reach more founders.
🔗 Follow the Guests & Hosts
THE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.group
Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/theexit.group
Marc Lafleur– https://www.linkedin.com/in/marclafleur1/
Adrian Salamunovic – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriansalamunovic/
#TheEXITPodcast, #MarcLafleur, #truLOCAL, #StartupExit, #FounderJourney, #EntrepreneurStory, #FromRockBottom, #MentalHealthForFounders, #BuildToExit, #ExitStrategy, #StartupLife, #BusinessPodcast, #EntrepreneurMindset, #FoundersUnfiltered, #PodcastInterview
In this trailer, get a sneak peek into the raw, unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve built, scaled, and ultimately exited their companies. From heartbreak to high-fives, Adrian Salamunovic dives into the real stories behind the business headlines.
This isn’t just about term sheets and valuations. It’s about identity shifts, personal growth, and life after the wire transfer.
Whether you’re dreaming of your own exit, in the trenches of building, or just fascinated by the mindsets of high-performing entrepreneurs, THE EXIT gives you a front-row seat to the turning point.
Subscribe now. Full episodes launching soon.
What does it really take to build a multi-million dollar digital empire without selling out?
In this episode of THE EXIT, I sit down with Neil Patel — digital marketing legend, founder of NP Digital, and creator of companies like Crazy Egg and KissMetrics — to uncover the raw truth behind entrepreneurial success.
We dive deep into:
If you're an entrepreneur, startup founder, or anyone dreaming of building something meaningful, this conversation will change how you think about success.
Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations with world-class founders.
🔗 Follow the Guests & Hosts
THE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.group
Instagram – / theexit.group
Neil Patel – / neilkpatel_
Adrian Salamunovic – / adriansalamunovic
