Direct-to-founder sourcing requires comfort with the fact that most conversations won't lead to a deal. This work isn't wasted; it builds a network of trust and market intelligence. Founders are interesting people, and treating every interaction with respect builds long-term karma and reputation.

For direct M&A outreach, the firm uses a specific sequence: a personal email from the CEO, a follow-up connection on LinkedIn, and, if those fail, using software to identify and attend the same industry conferences as the target for a direct, in-person introduction.

In high-stakes ABM plays, a peer-to-peer model is highly effective. A message from your CTO to their CTO, or your CFO to theirs, carries more weight and builds trust more rapidly than a salesperson's outreach. This executive engagement should be a core part of the ABM strategy.

Businesses are often sold by a senior, experienced agency leader, only to be handed off to a junior-level employee for the actual work. During the sales process, you must explicitly ask who you will be working with daily, confirm their experience, and even request to speak with them directly.

Approaching the leader of a business unit to propose carving it out is a fatal mistake, akin to 'inviting the turkey to Christmas.' They will naturally be defensive, viewing it as a threat. Instead, initial conversations must target executives *above* the business unit to explore the strategic rationale before involving the person whose division might be sold.

Top decision-makers are often inaccessible. Instead of direct outreach, use a "multi-threading" approach by building relationships with 5-10 other people in their organization. These internal advocates can provide intelligence and eventually carry your message and credibility to the ultimate decision-maker, bypassing their usual defenses. This lengthens the sales cycle but is essential for large deals.

When a potential acquirer calls, the founder's default mode should be information gathering, not pitching. By asking strategic questions ("Who else are you talking to?", "What are your goals?"), founders can extract valuable competitive intelligence about the market and the larger company’s plans, regardless of whether a deal happens.

A HoldCo leader with founder experience has an 'unfair advantage' in sourcing proprietary deals. Direct outreach from one founder to another builds a level of trust and rapport that purely financial buyers or junior associates cannot easily replicate.

QED Investors realized they were misusing their famous founder, Nigel Morris, by only bringing him in for the final call. They now strategically deploy him early in the process to open doors and build relationships with target companies, using his reputation as an asset for outreach, not just a closing tool.