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Commerce · February 4, 2026

It took 4 years to sell my startup. I wrote a book about it

The complete book: A founder

It took 4 years to sell my startup. I wrote a book about it launched on February 4, 2026 with 208 votes, #138 of 16,627 launches that month and more than 99% of that year's launches.

Visit derekyan.com ↗Alternativestop 1% of February 2026

In plain words

This is a book documenting one founder's four-year journey to selling their startup. It's written for entrepreneurs and business founders interested in understanding the realistic timeline and process behind a successful exit. The book draws from the author's direct experience navigating startup growth, challenges, and eventual acquisition, offering practical insights for those considering or pursuing their own ventures.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

It was May 15th, 2024. My mom's 60th birthday. Instead of planning a birthday message, I was checking my phone for an acquisition term sheet from a $40 billion company. Unfortunately, when I finally got the email, it was not the yes or no response I had been hoping for. It took almost four years before we finally found the right buyer. I wished a book like this existed at the time. If you are going through an M&A as a founder or are curious about my journey, I hope this book will be helpful to you. Note: Many readers on Hacker News expressed a preference for the raw, non-LLM-edited version of this book. You can read the unedited manuscript here . This work is licensed under Creative Commons…from derekyan.com

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Source: Show HN post ↗

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