Recently I was talking to a friend and he posed the question, “how does life change after a nice exit?” After thinking about it for a second, I quickly replied that things really aren’t any different. This amazing, life-changing event happens and things continue as normal, as would be expected.
Here are some things that do change after a nice exit:
- More people ask you to join their non-profit board, be a startup advisor, give advice, etc
- Local entrepreneur-related organizations ask you to speak (you’re the cool new kid at the party)
- Private wealth managers and investment advisors aggressively seek to manage your money with many different ideas on how to invest it
- Friends, family, and acquaintances realize that this crazy entrepreneur (you) really was on to something and wasn’t just toiling away alone in the basement (things seem so much more legitimate when there’s a large dollar exit attached to it)
- Earning money, for the purposes of making ends meet and having a nice lifestyle, no longer becomes something on the to do list, resulting in more thinking about how to make an impact in your field/community and leave a legacy
In the end, life is about the journey, relationships, higher purpose, and the all the little things. Like a big canvas with only a tiny picture drawn, a nice exit is just an opportunity to continue fleshing out the art.
What else? What are some other ways life changes after a nice exit?
David Cummings on Startups 
All of the above + I found that the bar just went up and I wanted to do it again!
I’m not in your situation, but I would assume everyone wants more. They want more of your time, advice, and presumably, money. It would be great to have the flexibility to offer these things (in moderation of course). I think you said it best when you said its about thinking about how to make an impact and leave a legacy. Lots of people have money these days, but how many will be making an impact long after they are gone?
Also, I would get an Aventador asap 🙂
I failed at all of the above after my first two exits. I bought things and did things for myself. In the end they were empty and unfulfilling. Hopefully I will get a third crack at an exit and do better this time; like giving back to the community and making a difference in other people’s lives. Something I am baking into my current startup…
Great article especially this section –
■Earning money, for the purposes of making ends meet and having a nice lifestyle, no longer becomes something on the to do list, resulting in more thinking about how to make an impact in your field/community and leave a legacy