#153 - Selling The Hustle for Millions: How The Hustle & Hubspot…
About This Episode
Sam Parr and guest Kieran Flanagan go behind the scenes of HubSpot's acquisition of The Hustle, detailing the process from the initial cold email to the grueling due diligence phase. They discuss the strategic rationale for a SaaS company to buy a media property and the psychological shifts founders experience when transitioning to being employees.
Episode Description
Key Takeaways
During price negotiations, maintain informational darkness because reacting too quickly or providing a specific number too early gives away your bargaining power.
Companies often choose to buy instead of build because of opportunity cost; acquiring an established brand and talent is faster than spending years trying to replicate a loyal audience from scratch.
Founders should disclose 'everything bad upfront' during the acquisition process to build trust and prevent the deal from collapsing later during rigorous due diligence.