How a sale to Playbook Media works.
Each stage, from the first email to the handover. We agree the pace with you. We describe the process before our first acquisition, so that you can hold us to it.
ContentsP.1How does selling to Playbook Media work?1 / 7
§ P.1
How does selling to Playbook Media work?Six stages.
You send a short overview. If there is a fit, we talk, agree a timeline and review records. Then we send proposed terms and a transition plan. Ownership changes only when both sides sign.
- The founder of Playbook Media is your contact at every stage.
- We reply to every founder email within five business days.
- We agree how to share sensitive records before you send them.
§ P.2
Stage by stage.What happens, and what we ask for.
P.2.1Day 0
Introduction
Email the product URL, what it does, its age, its approximate monthly recurring revenue and what you want from a transition. Keep it high-level. A first email is not confidential.
In plain words: one short email. No deck and no data room.
P.2.2Within five business days
Reply
We reply to every founder email, including when there is no fit. If we see a possible fit, we suggest a call.
In plain words: you get an answer either way.
P.2.3First call
Conversation
We ask why customers pay and renew, why you want to sell, where your time goes, how you calculate revenue and churn, and what would break if you stopped working. Before any detailed review, we agree a timeline with you.
In plain words: we want to understand the business before we ask for documents.
P.2.4Agreed timeline
Records review
We check monthly revenue, refunds and churn against billing and bank records. We review the code, the infrastructure, the support workload and the accounts that must transfer.
In plain words: we check what you told us, and we ask only for the records we need.
P.2.5After the review
Proposed terms and transition plan
We send proposed terms in writing with a transition plan. The plan sets out responsibilities, knowledge transfer, customer continuity, your role and what we expect to change first.
In plain words: terms come after the review, so they rest on checked numbers.
P.2.6Agreed date
Agreement and handover
Both sides sign a written agreement, with advisers on each side. Ownership, code, domains, billing and vendor accounts move as the plan describes.
In plain words: customers keep the service they rely on through the handover.
§ P.3
After the handover.Stability before change.
First, we keep the product stable. We reconcile the numbers, read the support queue and talk to customers.
Then we choose a small number of improvements. Each one has a problem, an owner, a measure and a cost before work begins.
We plan to review the business at about 30, 60 and 100 days, then at six and twelve months. Each review compares what happened with what we expected.
§ P.4
How we run the process.Rules we hold ourselves to.
- Rule 1
One contact
The founder of Playbook Media makes the decision. You are not passed between teams.
- Rule 2
An agreed pace
We agree the timeline with you. We keep to it, or we tell you early if it changes.
- Rule 3
Records with care
We ask for the records we need, and we agree how to share them first.
- Rule 4
A clear answer
If we pass, we tell you. A pass is a judgement about fit, not about you or your product.
§ P.5
What we do not do.Said plainly.
- Ask for customer records or credentials in a first message
- Plan an acquisition around an immediate rewrite
- Plan an acquisition around unsupported price increases
- Buy a business to resell it quickly
- Take on a business that we do not have the capacity to run well
§ P.6
What we may ask for.Only after we agree how to share it.
Revenue and customers
- Monthly revenue, refunds and churn, from billing exports.
- Customer counts and the largest customers’ share of revenue.
- Bank records that match the billing records.
Product and operations
- Access to the code and a walkthrough of a deployment.
- Infrastructure, vendor and tool costs.
- Support volume and the time it takes each week.
Ownership and transition
- Ownership of the code, the brand and the domains.
- Licences, customer terms and data commitments.
- A list of the accounts that must transfer.
§ P.7
Questions about the process.Short answers.
How long does the process take?
It depends on the business and on how quickly records are available. After the introduction, and before any detailed review, we agree a timeline with you and keep to it or tell you early if it changes.
Is a first email confidential?
No. An email does not create a confidential relationship. Keep the first message high-level: the product, its customers and your goals. If there is a fit, we agree how to share detailed records before you send them.
Do I need a broker or an adviser?
You do not need a broker to talk to us. We recommend a lawyer for the agreement, and an accountant if your records need work. Advisers on both sides make a sale safer.
Do I need audited financial statements?
No. Most small software businesses do not have them. We work from billing exports, bank statements and your accounting records.
Can I talk to other buyers at the same time?
Yes. Until you sign an agreement with us, you can talk to anyone. If we ask for a period of exclusivity, we explain why and for how long.
What happens if you pass?
We tell you, and we give the reason when we can. If timing is the only problem, we are glad to talk again later.
Have you completed an acquisition before?
Not yet. This page describes the process we will run for our first acquisition and every one after it.
End of the process