Sometimes a higher valuation doesn't always mean a better exit result.

Founders and early teams are the ones doing the hard yards. Long nights, low pay, all in on the vision. You're backing yourself for the long game and hoping that it pays off in the end. And that payday depends on how much of your business you own at the point of exit.

So we've had lots of experience dealing with businesses who, rather than reaching the unicorn status, have instead exited to strategics or private equity firms and had really great returns.

Building a $50 to $100 million business and keeping a meaningful portion of equity is far more achievable than reaching the unicorn status and can still be life changing.

Realistically, unicorns are rare, and chasing one means making sacrifices that may not be in the best interests of you as a founder or your team.

About Mighty:

At Mighty Partners, we help founders grow without giving up ownership. Our non-dilutive capital gives you the runway to build real value—so when exit time comes, your payoff reflects the work you put in.