An acquisition can make a company look successful on paper while leaving the founder with far less than expected.Proof Before You Exit is a practical guide to understanding what really happens when a company is sold, shut down, merged, or otherwise reaches its end. It goes beyond the headline valuation to examine the preference stack, debt, earnouts, escrow, vesting, taxes, and the terms that determine what founders and employees actually take home.The book helps you calculate your zero line, understand who gets paid before you, evaluate an offer, prepare for diligence, understand the buyer's motivations, and recognize when selling-or walking away-is the right decision.It also tackles the parts founders often discover too late: who legally controls the transaction, what happens to the team, why a letter of intent is not a deal, what happens when an acquisition falls through, and the obligations that can continue long after closing.With eighteen practical chapters, checklists, action steps, and five appendices, Proof Before You Exit is designed to help founders replace assumptions with numbers before making one of the most consequential decisions in the life of a company.Know the payout before you celebrate the price. Read more