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Exit

Exit isn’t an end—it’s the final stage of growth. Preparing for exit forces you to build a company that runs without you, performs with predictability, and creates transferable value.

Whether your goal is to sell, pass the company on, or simply step out of the day-to-day, preparing for an exit is one of the most strategic decisions a founder or CEO can make. Yet most leaders wait too long—or avoid the topic altogether.

In The 90 Way, Exit is the culmination of everything you’ve built: strong vision, robust data, aligned strategy, and reliable execution. But being “exit-ready” doesn’t mean you're leaving tomorrow. It means you’ve built a company that is scalable, self-sustaining, and valuable—whether or not you choose to stay.

Exit isn’t about leaving. It’s about leading your company to a place where it thrives—without depending on you.

Overview

Without planning for exit (even early), leaders often face:

  • Founder dependency, where the business can’t function without the owner
  • Low valuation, due to unclear strategy or lack of recurring revenue
  • Unprepared leadership bench, with no successor or strategic depth
  • Messy operations, lacking documentation, clean data, or scalable systems
  • Missed timing opportunities, when market conditions are optimal
  • Emotional unpreparedness, as identity and business are too tightly linked

The 90 Way solves these by:

  • Creating a self-sufficient company that doesn’t rely on any one person
  • Building systems that can be evaluated, acquired, or transferred cleanly
  • Driving strategic clarity around the value you’ve created
  • Professionalizing your culture, leadership, and operations
  • Opening up options for growth—sale, succession, or scaling further
  • Increasing the value of your business whether or not you sell

Companies that are exit-ready are often the healthiest, most investable, and most growth-capable companies in their space.

What Stage of Development is your business currently in? 

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Learn More about the Stages:

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Stages of Development

A sketched diagram showing five stages of growth: Start, Build, Grow, Scale, and Exit, represented as stacked blocks with arrows indicating progression from one stage to the next.

Key Resources & Tools

The 90 Way offers a system for identifying, documenting, and improving your most essential business processes.

Next Steps

Education Journey: