How do you use your exit to create new opportunities and connections?

1 Celebrate your success

The first thing you should do after an exit is to celebrate your success with your team, investors, customers, and mentors. You've worked hard to build something valuable and solve a problem in the market, and you deserve to acknowledge your achievements. Celebrating your success also helps you build goodwill and gratitude with the people who supported you along the way, and who might be interested in working with you again in the future.

2 Share your story

Another way to use your exit to create new opportunities and connections is to share your story with the startup community. You can write a blog post, record a podcast, speak at an event, or join a panel discussion to share your insights, lessons learned, challenges overcome, and advice for other founders. Sharing your story can help you establish your credibility, authority, and influence in your field, and attract potential partners, collaborators, investors, or employees for your next venture.

3 Explore your options

After an exit, you might have more options than you think. You can choose to stay with the acquiring company or the new entity, and continue to lead or contribute to your startup's vision and mission. You can also choose to leave and pursue a different career path, such as becoming an angel investor, a mentor, a consultant, or a teacher. You can also take some time off to travel, learn new skills, or explore new passions. Whatever you decide, make sure you weigh the pros and cons, and align your choice with your goals and values.

4 Stay connected

One of the most valuable assets you have after an exit is your network. You've built relationships with people who know your work, trust your judgment, and respect your expertise. You should stay connected with them, and keep them updated on your plans and progress. You can also reach out to new contacts who might be relevant or helpful for your next venture. You can use social media, newsletters, email, phone calls, or coffee meetings to stay in touch and nurture your network.

5 Seek feedback

Another way to use your exit to create new opportunities and connections is to seek feedback from your peers, mentors, investors, customers, and employees. You can ask them for their honest opinions on your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as a founder and a leader. You can also ask them for their suggestions, recommendations, referrals, or introductions for your next venture. Seeking feedback can help you improve your skills, identify your gaps, discover new ideas, and expand your horizons.

6 Plan your next move

Finally, you should use your exit to plan your next move. You might have a clear idea of what you want to do next, or you might need some time to figure it out. Either way, you should have a vision, a strategy, and a roadmap for your next venture. You should also have a budget, a timeline, and a team for your next venture. You should leverage your experience, network, and reputation from your exit to validate your idea, find your market fit, raise funds, and launch your product or service.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?