Ronnie Basu Jeff Lerner Review
Meet Ronnie Basu. Ronnie was planning for retirement and wanted to build a lasting legacy for his family. Yet he needed to learn new skills in order to make this possible. The ENTRE Blueprint, coaching with Dan and ENTRESoft have given Ronnie the skills, knowledge and tools he needs to get closer to the success he desires. He’s now excited for what the future holds!
Today’s guest on the Millionaire Secrets podcast is Jeff Fenster.
Jeff is the founder and CEO of Everbowl, one of the fastest-growing chains of fast-casual, quick-serve healthy eating restaurants in the US.
But let’s backtrack to the beginning of his career,
When Jeff left college with a law degree and six-figures of debt, he had plans of becoming a sports agent. (A law career just wasn’t his idea of fun and didn’t fit his personality).
The only issue with the sports agent idea was - the relentless travel.
You’d think no big deal for a young guy that had just graduated college. However, as well as Jeff just beginning his career, he was also just beginning his role as a father.
Travel was out.
Not really knowing what to do, he took a job at ADP selling payroll services. And this is where Jeff really shot into the stratosphere.
From 0 to 6 months - Jeff became the number #1 selling salesperson in the company of 2600 sales reps.
But Jeff was born for entrepreneurship.
And it was this feeling that led him to walk away from a $17K bonus and start his own company.
There’s more.
The way Jeff describes his tackling of issues when building Everbowl is both inspiring and incredibly educational.
Jeff definitely thinks differently when it comes to problem-solving.
Namely - he thinks about issues/challenges/problems from a different angle to everyone else.
Sometimes a problem doesn’t even need solving.
That’s a tool you’ll gain from watching this interview with Jeff - and you’ll be able to implement it into your own life immediately.
Jeff shares his core values:
Make friends
Have fun
Be remarkable
Do it now
Kaizen
And digs deep into his personal philosophies about his own success.
This interview is an inspirational journey with a clearly gifted man but it also has some practical nuggets of gold that we can all utilize!
Listen to the Podcast below to enjoy the full interview with Jeff Fenster:
Check Out More of Jeff’s Content Here 👇
💻 http://www.everbowl.com/
📧 Send an Email to Jeff 👉 jeff@everbowl.com
🛒 https://shop.everbowl.com/
ℹ️ LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfenster/
🖥️ FB 👉 https://www.facebook.com/jeff.fenster.5
⌨️ Twitter 👉 https://twitter.com/FensterJeff
📲 IG 👉 https://www.instagram.com/fensterjeff/
📲 IG Everbowl 👉 https://www.instagram.com/everbowlcraftsuperfood/
Getting Acquired: How I Built and Sold My SaaS Startup
Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
Andrew Gazdecki (Author), Jay Aaseng (Narrator), MicroAcquire, Inc. (Publisher)
4.8 out of 5 stars
Andrew Gazdecki knows startups. He co-founded Bizness Apps as a broke businessman in his 20s and transferred it in a deal with a private equity company prior to the age of 30 after fighting to Apple over a broad App Store rule that could destroy his business.
He's worked as a growth consultant for a number of multimillion-dollar startups. His businesses have been featured on TechCrunch over 12 times.
He now shares his amazing story in the book Getting Acquired How I Created and sold my SaaS Startup. Follow his journey of starting an enterprise when he was 21 years old and then hiring as well as managing, more than 100 employees, with no working experience of his own.
This intimate, candid view of the inside reveals the successes as well as failures as he worked to craft an engaging brand story that could stimulate growth with a small budget, and nearly lost everything, then sold the business for millions when he was 29.
An inside look at scaling a startup
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2022
Successful entrepreneur (and author) Andrew Gazdecki gives an entertaining ride-along into his journey from a dorm room startup to a multi-million dollar exit. His writing style is conversational and this book makes for a quick read. The first half of the book is about his personal story. The second half of the book reads more like essays and offers Andrew's opinions and musings about fundraising and scaling, etc. There can never be a single approach that ensures success for everyone and that wasn't my expectation from this book either. Entrepreneurs like Andrew and others are in a class of their own and it is always intriguing for me to see how they operate and this book provides plenty of that. I just wish he had done a deeper dive into the technical and hiring aspects of his SaaS business.
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BEST BOOK - IT'S A MUST READ!!!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
I've read a bunch of books similar to this one. Most are pretty cheesy saying that "if you work hard, you will be successful." I pretty much always get annoyed by the end of it because it's always the same advice given and not really unique. A friend of mine recommended I read this book and let me be the first to say, THANK GOD I DID!
Andrew absolutely killed it. Page after page, I was stuck to each word and was extremely excited to see what was to come next. If you are an entrepreneur, if you have dreams, if you ever had any idea of how to impact the world, this book is a must read. I plan on recommending this book to each and every person I know because of how incredible it was. Andrew makes you seem as if you can truly accomplish anything you want in life but not only makes you dream it, he tells you how to do it. He ignites you to chase those dreams and walks you through how he did it - so you can too. I'm inspired by this book as many are too and I hope you'll take time out of your day to read it. I guarantee you won't regret it.
Thanks Andrew - you inspire me!
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Andrew can build million dollar SaaS businesses
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
I've been following Andrew's journey for years. First when BiznessApps became the #1 small business app maker and one of the fastest growing private companies in America. Pretty remarkable to grow 5,000% in only a few years.
Then he went on to build and sell a few more wonderful internet businesses. Which led him to develop MicroAcquire, the #1 marketplace for SaaS buyers and sellers. If you want to learn about SaaS startups, Andrew is the guy!
This book breaks down his journey from scaling, storytelling and selling as a bootstrapped business.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
I met Andrew when I was trying to sell my micro content site on MicroAcquire. First, it worked for me. The 2nd and the more important thing is Andrew was so friendly, and he was not a greedy man.
Since then MicroAcquire has grew insanely.
So this story shows that Andrew's book is probably a gem (didnt read yet). His first experience was probably the most painful one, and the index of the book shows how he engraved his experience into the book page by page. Do not think a lot, get this book and build something to sell.
ps: hey Julian, your dad is gonna change the world for makers, be proud of him.
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If you are a founder or in sales, this is a must-read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2022
Getting Acquired" serves as an honest reminder of what it's like to start a business out of your dorm room with no funds, to finding mentors, bootstrapping, and having it successfully acquired.
His story is humble, unfiltered, and so well-written, that no matter your experience in the startup world, you can easily follow along.
His motivator for starting a company? Not working for someone else. We learn about the risks he encountered, the importance of mentors and a support system, the journey of acquiring customers when you haven't raised capital, how all was almost lost, the acquisition, and the birth of MicroAcquire.
Andrew's book is one of the best business books I've read in the past 12 months and a must read for founders and sales people alike. His triumph comes from passion and grit, and is a wonderful tale of David vs Goliath.
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Incredible story about a Tech founder
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Huge motivator to build a company. Andrew shared valuable insights and full transparency on his journey of starting a business and successfully exiting. Some stuff an MBA program won't teach out. You can build a runbook on some key take aways and events that were highlighted in this book. Definately a great read that can inspire anyone to be an entrepenuer.
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It all starts with a story. This is a good one.
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
This book really resonates with me.
“Your best teacher is your last mistake.” “Focus on what matters and let go of what doesn’t.”
Getting Acquired: How I Built and Sold My SaaS Startup by Andrew Gazdecki reads like a novel with plenty of teachings and principles embedded like parables. Hearing his story from humble beginnings, starting businesses, the trials and tribulations that followed. How he faced challenges, managed success, financial freedom and what follows.
They say your best teacher is you last mistake, and I know firsthand the hard-earned lessons stay with you the longest, but I would recommend learning vicariously through Andrew’s journey. You won’t regret it.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Andrew is fantastic. Not only are his LinkedIn posts packed with value, but this book adds an additional depth to his story and is packed with resources for growth. If you're looking for a guide to get acquired, look no further!
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starting out on your business journey, you should read this.
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2022
Andrew provides great details about the various aspects of getting your new business off the ground, sustainably and to support future growth as well as that possible acquisition.
The first half speaks of his experience while the second half touches on buying instead of building your businesses.
Definitely worth a read if you’re just starting out or seasoned in business. I learned a few new things about SaaS I hadn’t come across.
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This is a provisional rating ;-)
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
I've not finished reading it yet because I bought it some hours ago (but I'm already enjoying it). Andrew's Twitter thread is one of the most insightful and enlightening out there to those of us interested in the startup ecosystem, so I will finish and will update my rating (even when I can anticipate that it will not change drastically) ;-)
Anyone creating in any industry needs to read this
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2022
This book expanded my realm of possibility as an aspiring entrepreneur. I am not a coder or Webb/app developer or some technology guru. I thought starting a business, and especially an SaaS, was reserved for IV leaguers and MIT graduates. The SMB and entrepreneurial landscape is changing, now more than ever with technology and resources like no-code tools and YouTube university. Anything is possible with right attitude, willingness to learn, and taking action.
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A real-life success story packed with real-life lessons for entrepreneurs
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
The book is very well-written and easy to read. One of those books that when you start, you don't wanna put it down. The value comes from Andrew's real-life experience through the ups and downs of his entrepreneurship rollercoaster journey. You can find valuable practical lessons from assessing product-market fit, to product development to fund raising to customer acquisition and finally acquisition. A must read for every early stage entrepreneur and founder!
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In summary the book is useful, easy to read, and a great use of your time.
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2022
I have been connected to Andrew on LinkedIn for some time now and it's refreshing to hear his voice in the book. He's brutally honest about his own mistakes and provides useful information on how to avoid those mistakes. Does he know what he's talking about? I'd say so; besides selling his own businesses he has opened a marketplace where thousands of businesses are sold.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Andrew knows everything about getting your SaaS acquired. Everything in this book is pure gold, you need this if you're on a journey to build and sell your SaaS.
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Exactly what I expected from Andrew
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2022
Been following Andrew for a few years now - and this book is exactly what I expected from him: a must-read! Even after exiting multiple businesses, I picked up plenty of ideas as I went through this book. Highly recommended (and don’t forget to check out MicroAcquire as well).
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Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
I always dislike how-to books. But this seems different. It lays out how Andrew went from a broke start-up to a multi-million dollar entrepreneur. It does not give you a step-by-step guide to building a start-up. Rather it points out the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and how to address pitfalls along the way. Highly recommend this to anyone thinking of building a start-up.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Andrew's book is a unique one. It's not a "how to book" but rather "how he actually built and sold a startup". I love the candor in the book as he goes through his journey from finding the idea to scaling the business. I definitely recommend this book to any entrepreneur looking to startup a company or is looking for tips on how to grow their startup further.
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Raw Acquisition Details of a SaaS
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
Andrew doesn't sugarcoat anything in this book. He fully explains the process and hard work it takes to get acquired. A founder's dream is to be acquired or IPO, whichever they find more successful exit-wise. Mr. Gazdecki continues to engage readers and his Twitter followers through raw details and the experience of a startup.
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Excellent book that gives an inside look into a start up
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
This is one of my favorite books I have read in a while. It is a great representation of what founding a software startup entails. It also meets you at your level of expertise, whether you’re a business novice or an expert. I’ll definitely be suggesting this book to others!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Andrew is a community-focused entrepreneur with an incredible story around SaaS & acquisitions. This is a must-have book for those looking to build and sell SaaS in the future whether it's months or years away. I can't recommend the book or following Andrew enough! Instant buy for me
From the United States
Knowledgeable author, fascinating topic
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
This book contains several success stories of startups going from the ground up through the acquisition phase. Invaluable information for any entrepreneur building a product or service who is looking to maximize potential of their business.
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Amazing book! Big fan of microacquire and what Andrew is building
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
I’m super excited about this book and what Andrew is building regarding microacquire. There are so many great ideas and innovations being built, and microacquire gives you the opportunity to participate in this market. The saas market and business model is fascinating!
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Great primer to a great Entrepreneurial journey
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
Gets down into what you need to know about micro PE and acquiring your own business.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
I loved learning about Andrew's story. He is very authentic and vulnerable and I love that he later went on to help other founders get acquired.
His story will certainly inspire you to go on and do something epic !
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Great Startup Journey Insights!
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2022
This is an excellent book. There is a plethora of startup knowledge, all condensed into a well-articulated book. Thank you Andrew for sharing your journey and motivating your readers to make the jump into entrepreneurship.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Amazing book written by an amazing guy! Nothing beats getting valuable and actionable tips and guidance - and a couple of laughs - from one of the finest in the M&A space. No doubt, Andrew wants you to win! A must read!
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Life changing book for only 99 cents!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Bought this book a couple hours ago and haven’t put it down! As someone new to SaaS this book was exactly what I needed to get going. Would recommend to anyone interested in SaaS, no matter your prior experience.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Andrew's story is pretty incredible, and this book is filled with valuable nuggets of practical tips. If you are building a SaaS company, I highly recommend reading this book.
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Great insights from a great guy!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
After following Andrew on Twitter I knew this purchase was a no brainer! It’s really inspiring and hands on at the same time - just like himself!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
Very comprehensive & thorough. Highly recommend if you have a SAAS business!
From Someone Who's Been There, Done That, & Cashed the Big Check
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Unlike most business books, Andrew actually did what he's teaching about.
After two successful exits (with big checks) Andrew put what he knew about the opaque world of SaaS exits into "Getting Acquired".
"Getting Acquired" is a mix of two books: one, the story of How He Built and Sold His SaaS Startup (as promised) that discusses the ups and downs of tech entrepreneurship, with interesting stories, strategic viewpoints and the unique headaches tech creates - one minor update to a sub-point of the Terms of Service for the App Store almost destroyed his business...and how he got past it.
The second portion is hands-on tactics and strategies for starting, growing and selling a SaaS business. From mental frameworks around marketing (How to Tell Your SaaS's Story) to the specific documents required for selling your business to how to value your business.
They say the best way to get business wisdom is to take a veteran operator out to lunch...consider this a full day at a buffet.
Andrew's currently running a company called MicroAcquire: a marketplace for SaaS companies to be bought and sold. All too frequently, lazy Entrepreneurs push a few reheated blog posts into a book to promote their main business - make no mistake, Andrew is not one of them.
As a standalone novel about tech Entrepreneurship or as a non-fiction guide to the SaaS Landscape, Getting Acquired could stand on it's own legs, but putting the two together makes it my best buy in recent memory for business books.
5 stars, buy it now!
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One of the most motivating books I've read in years
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2022
I'm a big Gazdeki fan after discovering MicroAcquire and connecting with him on Twitter- he's an incredible cheerleader and inspiring figure at a time when it feels like only the big guys win.
His book is a simple and straightforward story of his incredible passion and drive to build. It was such a page-turner I finished it in one big gulp and hope he writes another soon! It was a treat to pull back the veil of processes I've only read about or participated in as one of the professionals hired to execute a transaction. I love his clear compass and goals of providing for his family and his team while providing real solutions for small businesses. Amazing to read about.
As someone who has only ever worked in large organizations and companies, it was fantastic to feel a rush of energy and excitement about another path. I feel closer than ever to leaping into entrepreneurship thanks to "Simple Gaz".
Thanks for building and writing - look forward to staying in your orbit dude!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2022
I’ve worked on side projects for 7ish years and never wanted to grow them too big. I like having a job and I don’t want to lead a big company.
Gazdecki’s personal story is an inspiration and the marketplace/community he’s creating with microacquire is mind opening.
I had no idea I was able to build and sell quickly so that others could grow without having to come up with the ideas or MVP.
If you’re an inde hacker or side hustler or budding entrepreneur, I highly recommend Getting Acquired.
A ground level view of how the sausage is made at a startup
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Andrew Gazdecki spares no details in this story of how he cajoled one business after another from idea to sale. He intertwines his own journey amidst a very literal and practical guide for bootstrapping a software service business to an exit. Andrew's tenacity for problem solving and willingness to share failures serve as inspiration for up and coming entrepreneurs, even if they are not in software or self-funding.
Andrew’s book is finally available.
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2022
This book is relevant now, it is innovative and easy to comprehend, like everything else Andrew has been working on. I have been monitoring Andrew’s bizdev for a couple of years already. He inspires all his network and he is changing the market in the positive way. Moreover, he contributes his efforts in education the generation of entrepreneurs so that the future business would be more powerful and meaningful. I had a chance to participate in Andrew’s online MicroAcquire Academy and everybody else can do the same. The book is a collection of real life use cases, mistakes and success stories which makes it super useful. Thank you, Andrew! Keep going.
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Radically Transparent Business Biography
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2022
This is a book if you’re starting a company, running a company or retired from a company. Andrew is able to articulate his story in a very enjoyable way. Being able to read this book and seeing the real challenges he faced no fluff just the real world problems that founders face daily. I’m a fan of his included sections after giving free consulting advice for scaling SAAS companies in a variety of different ways.
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Amazing story to inspire any aspiring entrepreneurs
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
Andrew has such an inspring story. Starting a company is never easy despite what you read online. Andrew does a great job of taking you through the heartache and pain he had to overcome to be successful and then lays out the roadmap he used to grind to success.
Highly recommend this book for anyone looking to start or scale a business, tech or otherwise. It's both a story you'll enjoy and a resource you can reference for years to come.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Andrew is easily one of the most down to earth entrepreneurs I know. He’s always forth right and he truly believes in everything he builds. Had a great opportunity to host him on our podcast and he was amazing to have on. This book was great and full of information that I wanted to ask but glad I could read it instead! Highly recommended!
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Refreshing take on building a business.
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Big fan of the book. It takes a refreshing, generally unspoken take on what success looks like when building and selling a business.
You get a first hand look into his experience building BiznessApps, the ups and the downs, and how his bootstrapped approached changed his life and outlook on building.
Andrew also brings in a “down to earth” tone and voice through the book that’s easy to connect and relate too.
10/10 recommend
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Loved the book and the journey. It has been great to watch the company grow and to learn more about Andrew’s journey to where he is now. Keep up the amazing work