06: From Side Hustle to Strategic Exit: Lessons from Scaling Unique World

In this episode of From Angel to Exit, host Bruce Eckfeldt sits down with Eddie Geller, serial entrepreneur and founder of Unique World, to unpack the gritty, insightful journey from launching early web services to a high-stakes M&A exit. Geller candidly shares the highs and lows of scaling a business, from client concentration pitfalls to post-acquisition culture clashes. This episode is rich with takeaways for founder-CEOs aiming to build, scale, and eventually exit their businesses strategically and successfully.

Key Takeaways

• Declining a $30M offer taught the importance of realistic valuations and market timing.
  
• Relying on a single client base can cripple a business—diversification is key.
  
• Open-book management rebuilt trust and performance post-2008 crash.
  
• A company must be operationally independent from its founder to be sellable.
  
• Hiring based on assumed influence, not proven impact, can backfire.
  
• All-cash deals require clean operations and attractive growth metrics.
  
• Cultural mismatch post-acquisition can derail team retention and value.
  
• Measuring culture (via SKOR) can be a driver of business performance.

Links & Resources

• Eddie Geller

  https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddiegeller/
  https://www.cultureskor.com/

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