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Ryan Levesque

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The Digital Contrarianâ„¢

Ryan Levesque

Issue #017

| The Digital Contrarianâ„¢

Lessons from a Software Exit (Part 1)

Consider THIS...

Ryan Levesque

5 min read

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ICYMI – Earlier this week, we made the Big Announcement.
 
Bucket.io (the software company that my partner Richard and I cofounded together 7 years ago) was acquired by ScoreApp – a leading UK-based software company.
 
There are SO many Strategic Lessons I can share with you about building a company and reaching an exit like this…
 
Not to mention the STORY behind how it all unfolded (which I’ve already started to unpack and reveal to members of my high-level Mastermind…)
 
In fact, it’s worth checking out this short video that I recorded with ScoreApp co-founder Daniel Priestley, where we both share some of the strategic reasons for joining forces…
But today I want to START by sharing a lesson that can be immediately helpful no matter where you are in your business right now – whether you’re scaling your company for exit, or you’re struggling to get traction…
 
And it has to do with a UNIVERSAL FORCE that drives every single market and that’s this:
 
Markets WANT to Consolidate.
 
Like water flowing downhill – the trend of moving from a “Fragmented Market” to a “Consolidated Market” is a universal force that eventually manifests itself across every single market over time.
 
(Including your market…)
 
Now, new markets typically emerge with some sort of innovation or deregulation, which often allows numerous small players to enter a highly-fragmented space…
 
(Think: the advent of AI and LLM technology…)
 
Then, as an industry matures, companies seek economies of scale, greater market share, and enhanced efficiencies, leading to mergers, acquisitions, and consolidation.
 
(Think: Airline industry – from dozens upon dozens of small regional carriers, to now just Delta, American, United, & SWA accounting for 87% of all passenger air travel across the US.)
 
This evolution toward fewer, larger businesses is driven by the pursuit of profitability, cost control, and competitive advantage, reflecting a natural lifecycle seen repeatedly across industries.
 
The cycle often resets with technological shifts or regulatory changes, causing renewed fragmentation and the emergence of new players…
 
But here is the big takeaway:
 
Consolidation is natural.
Consolidation is universal.
Consolidation is inevitable.
* * *
So what does that mean for YOU and your business?
 
Well, we started to explore this concept together back in Issue [#015] Reframe Competition: A Lesson in Nature… (which is worth re-reading today btw…)
 
And now that the Bucket/ScoreApp acquisition is public – I want to talk a bit more about transforming your competitors into collaborators through the lens of inevitable market consolidation.
 
Let me explain:
 
Right now, you might have a “competitor” in your space…
 
Someone who is “taking your market share”…
 
Someone who is “making it more difficult to compete.”
 
And I want to invite you to THINK about who that competitor is….
 
Picture that competitor in your mind.
 
Can you visualize them?
 
BTW – If you’re struggling to pinpoint just ONE competitor and instead just see a SEA of competition in your mind…
 
It’s a sign that you’re in a highly-fragmented market right now.
 
(And that’s okay too.)
 
Now, when we have competition like this – the natural response is often some version of doubling your effort and working twice as hard so you can stand out and differentiate yourself.
 
(That’s the conventional move that the majority make.)
 
And that’s what “hustle culture” is built around:
 
Outwork your competition until one of you dies…
 
But when you do this, you’re fighting a universal force.
 
Because remember: Markets WANT to consolidate.
 
It’s like trying to fight gravity.
 
And in a fragmented market – nobody wins.
 
The GOOD NEWS is that there is another option.
 
A work smarter not harder option…
 
And this….
 
Is the Zig when they Zag move:
 
Transform your competitors into collaborators.
 
Remember the example of how Purple Astor & Yellow Goldenrod work together in nature instead of trying to outcompete?
 
That’s exactly what Daniel Priestley and I decided to do with this acquisition.
 
Instead of trying to compete against one another head to head in this space, we decided to join forces as “Co-MVPs” and collaborate together.
 
Now it requires a certain level of maturity to be able to this.
 
It requires setting aside some of the egoic drive that likely led you to start your business in the first place—in favor of pursuing a greater mission.
 
But at the end of the day, you really only have two choices:
 
You can either drive the inevitable consolidation of your market and participate in the opportunity…
 
Or you can find yourself on the outside looking in…
 
The choice is yours.
 
Because remember:
 
Markets WANT to consolidate.
 
Consolidation is natural.
Consolidation is universal.
Consolidation is inevitable.
 
Until next week,
 
Ryan :-)
 
—
 
P.S. I mentioned once again this new high-level Mastermind that I’ve put together, and I know some have been asking about it…
First a few things:
 
Now that we’ve wrapped up the Bucket/ScoreApp transaction, I’m finally in a position to open up few spots in the group.
 
Now, to be clear:
 
This group is NOT for beginners.
It’s for highly-experienced entrepreneurs.
 
And it is NOT cheap to be part of this.
 
But if you are an experienced entrepreneur.
 
If you’re looking to perhaps put yourself in a position to potentially sell and exit YOUR business now or sometime in the future…
 
Reach out to me with a short email…
 
I’m not putting together a big complicated funnel for this.
 
There’s no fancy website.
 
If you’d like to be considered for one of the spots I’m making available, this is how to get your name on the list:
 
Please shoot me an email email and tell me about where you’re at right now.  What your goals are. Why you’re attracted to work with me and be part of this group specifically…
 
If I think it may be a good fit – I’ll tell you all about the group, how it’s structured, and details for reserving one of those spots…
 
(And if you’ve ALREADY reached out, and you haven’t heard back from me, please reach out to me again if you’re still interested – I’ve been trying to keep up, but the sale of the business kept me busy the last few weeks…)
 
I expect these spots will go pretty quickly and I want to make sure you’ve got an opportunity to get in before all the spots get taken.

Want to work with me one-on-one?

Join my private client waitlist and be first to know when I have availability for new 1:1 clients.

P.P.S. And if you’re interested in working with me PRIVATELY, for the first time in over a decade I’ve opened up an opportunity to do that…
 
Fair warning: It’s an order of magnitude more expensive – and you’ve got to be doing at least seven-figures in your business for this to make sense…
 
But this option gets you direct access to ME personally.
 
I’ve only got space for 1 (or at most 2) slots for this…
 
So if this is something you’re interested in – tell me about your situation, why you’d like to work with me directly, and why you think it would be a great fit.
 
Have a great week, and I’ll talk to you soon!

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