70% of family businesses fail or get sold before the second generation. Only 10% reach the third. Succession planning isn't paperwork. It's a decade of deliberate preparation. amazon.com/dp/B0DVRXYDS4

Information is everywhere. You can search for anything. You can ask ChatGPT or Claude a question and get an answer instantly. That part isn’t the challenge. The challenge is experience. When I talk with someone about a tool, I don’t really want a long explanation of how the technology works. I want to know what happened when they actually used it. Did it work? Did it create value? Would you use it again? Information is available to everyone now. Experience is what people are really looking for.

The most dangerous sentence in a growing company: “We’ll clean that up later.” Temporary solutions have a way of becoming infrastructure.

What if AI didn’t live in your tech stack… but on your org chart? On The Value Factory Podcast, Sel Watts introduces a perspective that changes how leaders think about AI agents inside a company. Full episode coming out tomorrow. All episodes on major platforms.

When an unsolicited offer arrives, it can feel flattering. It shouldn’t. Strategic buyers often lead with an attractive number, secure a letter of intent, and then begin a deeper review that can result in price reductions or a withdrawn offer altogether. If the buyer is also a competitor, you are not only negotiating a transaction, you may be revealing critical insight into your business. My advice to every owner is simple: do not navigate this process alone. I would not recommend selling a home without experienced representation, and selling a business is far more complex. It was an honor to sit down with my friend and colleague Craig Dickins of Merritt Investment Bank to discuss how owners can protect value and approach unsolicited offers with clarity and confidence. @craigdickens1