Top 10 M&A Podcasts You Must Listen

The world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is complex and ever-changing, but it holds great promise for entrepreneurs and business owners. As founders take on the challenge of building and scaling their businesses, many are also thinking about the potential of a future exit.

Unfortunately, many founders pay exorbitant fees to get assistance with their M&A journey, only to find that they need to spend even more time and money getting up to speed on the basics.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Before signing any engagement letters, Exitwise always advises founders to level up on their M&A knowledge first. And the good news is, there are a wealth of resources available to help them do just that.

One of the best ways to learn about M&A is to listen to podcasts from experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors. In this article, we'll highlight some of our favorite M&A podcasts, covering a range of topics such as M&A strategy, valuation, financing, due diligence, and integration.

TL;DR - 10 Best M&A Podcasts for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

Here are the ten best mergers and acquisitions podcasts you can listen to as an entrepreneur or business owner: 

1. The Wise Exit

2. M&A Science

3. The Silicon Valley Podcast

4. M&A Murders & Accusations

5. How2Exit

6. M&A Talk

7. Top M&A Entrepreneurs

8. The Tech M&A Podcast

9. Dealcast: The M&A Podcast

10. Built to Sell Radio

We’ll discuss each podcast later to see why they are great for you as you go through your business building or exit strategy. 

Researching how to exit your business by following M&A podcasts can be time-consuming. To exit more smoothly, it's best to work directly with M&A advisors to tap into their knowledge and expertise.

When you connect with Exitwise, we help you find and manage business appraisers, attorneys, wealth advisors, and accountants. These experts help you learn the ins and outs of valuing your company, increasing its value, and selling it at the highest possible price.

What Makes an M&A Podcast Successful?

To get the best M&A insights, you'll want to only follow top-notch podcasts. But how do you choose a great show? 

Here's what to check to tell if a podcast is successful and worth your time:

• Relevant Interviewees: Mergers and acquisitions are a specific field best handled by experts such as investment bankers, current business owners, people who have recently sold their businesses, and wealth advisors. 

For example, if you are in the construction industry, you would want to listen to a show that invites M&A experts, such as public accountants who specialize in selling construction businesses.

• Audience Engagement: A great podcast cultivates good host-to-listener interaction to build a sense of community around their show. 

They respond to feedback, share behind-the-scenes content, or reply to comments to create an inviting atmosphere for prospective listeners. 

• Consistency: A podcast with a strict publishing schedule that regularly posts high-quality content gets loyal followers and establishes itself as a reliable source of M&A information. 

• Relevant Themes: You'll want the podcast you follow to address themes such as corporate acquisitions, mergers, strategic partnerships, and divestitures. 

Some common topics include deal sourcing and origination, negotiations, deal structuring, M&A financing, and exit planning. 

Top 10 M&A Podcast Recommendations

Let's explore the top ten M&A podcasts to see how they stand out and why you should follow them.

1. The Wise Exit

Here's why our podcast leads in the M&A sector:

• We share real stories of former business owners and fellow founders about selling their companies to some of the world's top acquirers. 

• We interview a wide range of experts, from serial entrepreneurs and founders to CEOs and investment bankers. We also bring on board-certified public accountants and executive coaches. 

• The show is available on many popular podcasting apps, such as Spotify, YouTube, Podcast Addict, and Apple Podcasts. You can also listen to it via Overcast, Castbox, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, Castro, Deezer, and Player FM, giving you several options as per your preference. 

Once you are ready to sell your company, you'll need help finding the best M&A experts. Reach out to us today, and we'll help you hire and manage the best experts to make a successful sale at the highest price possible.

2. M&A Science

The show is popular for:

• Focusing on M&A topics, such as AI, cultural due diligence, incorporating integration with due diligence, and external factors that affect M&A processes. 

• Having guests from prominent companies such as Paynet, Google, and Cisco. The latter is a tech giant with over 200 successful acquisitions.

3. The Silicon Valley Podcast

The podcast is successful because:

• The host focuses heavily on the world of innovation and startups, inspired by the phenomenal Silicon Valley. As such, it features leaders who have actually had success with startups.

• The host, Shawn Flynn, has lived in the heart of Silicon Valley and has extensive knowledge from working with angel groups, incubators, venture capitalists, institutions, incubators, and local governments.

4. M&A Murders & Accusations

Let's see why the show is unique:

• True to its M&A Murders and Accusations title, the podcast focuses on teaching business owners and entrepreneurs how to not kill the sale of their business, which happens occasionally. 

• The show features conversations with business owners who have already sold their businesses, from whom you can learn how to sell your business successfully.

5. How2Exit

Here's why the show stands out:

• How2Exit focuses on online businesses, including e-commerce and digital marketing. You can learn strategies for building, growing, and successfully selling an online business or digital asset. 

• You can also hear from industry mentors and experts not only from the US but also from around the world, such as London and Australia.

6. M&A Talk

You'll want to follow the show for the following reasons:

• Besides the usual M&A experts like attorneys and investment bankers, the podcast also features other experts such as private equity partners, venture capital investors, authors, and business appraisers. 

• The podcast focuses heavily on topics such as post-merger integrations, reverse due diligence, buy-side due diligence, and the human factor in M&A transactions.

7. Top M&A Entrepreneurs

You can follow the podcast for the following reasons:

• The show focuses on the acquisition journey, featuring entrepreneurs discussing the ‘why’ behind their acquisition endeavors and why they have succeeded or failed in past deals. 

• The podcast features multiple episodes where guests discuss how mergers and acquisitions saved their failing businesses, even when failure or near-failure aren't common podcast discussions.

8. The Tech M&A Podcast

The podcast is unique in various ways:

• You can enjoy discussions that include Q&A sessions featuring recent business sellers and prominent tech buyers such as Salesforce, Google, and Microsoft. 

• Notable topics include Artificial Intelligence in M&A, handling inbound purchase offers, and increasing your company's value. You can also learn to avoid the trap of perfectionism in M&A deals right from starting to selling companies.

9. Dealcast: The M&A Podcast

The podcast is popular for the following reasons:

• The show launched over six years ago and has over 179 episodes, which shows its consistency. 

• In addition to general M&A topics, the podcast also focuses on Equity Capital Markets (ECM) and shareholder activism, which may tank a deal or make it more successful.

10. Built to Sell Radio

Here are some key features of the podcast:

• The show features topics such as family business transitions and life post-exit. It gives insights into the struggles former business owners experience adjusting to their newfound life after a business sale. 

• You can learn how to build a self-managing business that attracts the right acquirer, even when you don't intend to sell. It’s important to remember that most buyers want a company that runs relatively independently of the owner.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Let's check out answers to common questions about M&A podcasts. 

How Can M&A Podcasts Benefit Entrepreneurs and Startup Founders?

M&A podcasts offer entrepreneurs and startup founders insights into how to build great companies with future exits in mind. Such an outlook is crucial for getting things right from the start and securing a successful sale at the best price possible. 

Additionally, you can learn how to navigate the complexities of business handling and corporate decision-making processes. 

What Can I Learn From an M&A Podcast?

Since each M&A podcast focuses majorly on one or a few aspects, listening to various shows can help you learn a lot about M&A strategy, business building, valuation, financing, and due diligence. 

You can also learn about deal sourcing, deal-making, corporate strategy, and post-merger integrations. 

What Does Exitwise Do?

At Exitwise, we help you find, interview, and hire your dream M&A team that enables you to sell your business at the best sale price possible. Such experts include M&A attorneys, wealth advisors, business brokers, investment brokers, and tax accountants. 

Through our podcast and blog, we are a reliable source of M&A information for business owners and founders. You can learn various aspects, such as valuing your company correctly, maximizing its value, and even finding the best buyer. 

You can start the business sale journey by talking to one of our M&A advisors today. 

Conclusion

Whether you are a serial entrepreneur or just beginning your first business, M&A podcasts can be a great learning resource for running your company with a successful exit in mind. 

When you are ready to sell your business and are looking for reliable assistance, talk to us at Exitwise. We'll help you interview and hire the best M&A experts who can help you secure the right buyer with the best possible offer within a favorable timeframe.