Grow-to-Exit: Turning Funder-Dependent Business Into a Sellable, Maximum-Value Asset in 12 Months
Thinking of exiting in the next 12–36 months? I architect what buyers pay for: an M&A-grade operating system, automated with AI, that maximises value by reducing owner dependency and operational chaos.
Exit-Readiness Audit
I enter your business and identify the fatal bottlenecks killing your margins and business value. You get a data-backed Grow-to-Exit protocol and a fix roadmap, including a valuation range.
The "Self-Running" OS
Manual grunt work replacement with AI and documented playbooks. We automate your sales, support, and ops so the business runs without you constantly pushing buttons.
Sellable, Maximum-Value Asset
I restructure your financials and operations to be "Buyer Diligence Ready." Whether you sell or keep it, you own a sellable asset optimised for max market multiply, not a job.
I Don’t Sell M&A Strategy. I Architect Assets to Exit.
I Don’t Sell M&A Strategy. I Architect Assets to Exit.
Den Unglin, Founder of Unglin Co., Ltd. — Bangkok-based, operating across the globe.
18+ years of direct P&L responsibility, sitting in every key seat at the table: Founder & CEO of Digital Marketing & Tech Agencies; Principal of an M&A Advisory; and Chief Strategy Officer.
Having built, scaled, and exited ventures across 50+ niches—as an operator, not a spectator—this approach goes beyond theoretical advice. I engineer the exact asset-class systems used to build and sell my own companies.
The Brutal Reality: Industry data (Gartner/BCG) confirms that nearly 90% of automation initiatives fail to generate ROI. The cause is structural, not technical: automating a chaotic process simply scales the chaos.
The Fix: M&A Exit Logic First, AI automation Second. Risk is eliminated by applying an Exit-Readiness Audit to repair operational logic first. Only once the foundation is solid is the Operating System deployed.
The goal is not just "efficiency." It is Maximise Enterprise Value—building a sellable asset that functions independently of the founder.
Having built, scaled, and exited ventures across 50+ niches—as an operator, not a spectator—this approach goes beyond theoretical advice. I engineer the exact asset-class systems used to build and sell my own companies.
The Brutal Reality: Industry data (Gartner/BCG) confirms that nearly 90% of automation initiatives fail to generate ROI. The cause is structural, not technical: automating a chaotic process simply scales the chaos.
The Fix: M&A Exit Logic First, AI automation Second. Risk is eliminated by applying an Exit-Readiness Audit to repair operational logic first. Only once the foundation is solid is the Operating System deployed.
The goal is not just "efficiency." It is Maximise Enterprise Value—building a sellable asset that functions independently of the founder.
18
years of experience
50
different
niches
niches
12
countries markets
200+
managed projects
Don't let operational chaos leave money on the table
Are You Building a sellable Asset, or a High-Stress Job?
We measure success by one metric: Exit Value. Do changes make your business more sellable, or just harder to manage?
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Old Way: The "Founder Trap"
The logic of a non-transferable business.- The Bottleneck: You are the highest-paid employee. Every major decision is waiting for your approval.
- The "Bus Factor": If you step away for 30 days, revenue goes down. The business cannot survive your absence.
- The Valuation Penalty: Investors view your company as "High Risk." You are capped at 1x–2x earnings because the asset is you, not the system.
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New Way: The "Exit-Ready" Machine
The logic of a transferable asset.- The Operating System: AI Agents and documented Playbooks execute most of the routine daily ops. You only handle high-level strategy.
- The Autonomy: Revenue is decoupled from your time. The business grows while you sleep (or travel).
- The Valuation Premium: Investors view your company as a "Turnkey Asset." You command 3x–8x earnings because the system generates the cash flow.
Seller-Side M&A
Business Exit Strategy
As a Strategic Architect, I eliminate operational noise, fix unit economics, and build growth engines with measurable exit outcomes.
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“Grow to Exit” Strategy
Business exit value is ultimately the only M&A metric that counts. It’s the one number that can completely change your quality of life and create generational wealth.
If you build a big business no one would ever buy, you can tell yourself whatever story you want — that you built it “for yourself”, not to sell — but the truth is simple: you’re burning years of your life on something chaotic that never truly pays you back.
The "Grow to Exit". How does it work?
Surgical, 4-phase intervention to transform your business into a sellable asset.
Phase 1 — Exit-Readiness Audit (Operational Due Diligence) (Month 1)
We audit your business like a hostile buyer. We stress-test your P&L and operations to surface “Deal Killers”: key-person risk, hidden dependencies, weak controls, margin leakage, customer concentration, and process fragility that destroy valuation.
Deliverables: Deal-Killer Register, Valuation Risk Map, Estimated Business Evaluation, Priority Fix Backlog, and a remediation roadmap with owners, KPIs and deadlines.
Investment: Audit + Valuation + Grow To Exit Strategy Protocol from $7,500 (fixed scope).
Deliverables: Deal-Killer Register, Valuation Risk Map, Estimated Business Evaluation, Priority Fix Backlog, and a remediation roadmap with owners, KPIs and deadlines.
Investment: Audit + Valuation + Grow To Exit Strategy Protocol from $7,500 (fixed scope).
Phase 2 — Structural Remediation & AI Injection (Months 2–8)
We rebuild the operating foundation. Manual, person-dependent workflows are replaced with documented SOPs, clear role ownership, measurable controls, and automation/AI agents, where they reduce risk and cost. The goal is a process-driven operating system that does not require your daily input.
Deliverables: SOP Library + QA standards, Operating Dashboard (KPIs), role/ownership map, workflow, automation + AI agent implementations, and a weekly governance cadence.
Investment: Integration / Board Advisory via fixed quarterly sprint fee (priced after audit).
Deliverables: SOP Library + QA standards, Operating Dashboard (KPIs), role/ownership map, workflow, automation + AI agent implementations, and a weekly governance cadence.
Investment: Integration / Board Advisory via fixed quarterly sprint fee (priced after audit).
Phase 3 — Asset Transfer (Operator Independence) (Months 8–12)
We verify “Operator Independence” through live delegation tests, handover runbooks, and control loops so the business can run and grow without you. We do not close the mission until the operating system survives a real-world independence test.
Deliverables: Operator Independence Scorecard, handover pack (runbooks, controls, training), buyer-ready operating pack, and final readiness stress test.
Investment: Included within the quarterly sprint advisory (priced by complexity after audit).
Deliverables: Operator Independence Scorecard, handover pack (runbooks, controls, training), buyer-ready operating pack, and final readiness stress test.
Investment: Included within the quarterly sprint advisory (priced by complexity after audit).
Phase 4 — 360° Business Exit Support (Optional)
We run the exit process: preparation, positioning, buyer search, process management, and deal support through close.
Investment: 3-10% success fee paid only on close. Fee is tiered by deal size (Modified Lehman).
Investment: 3-10% success fee paid only on close. Fee is tiered by deal size (Modified Lehman).
The Value I BRING Calculation Example
We build sistem to force a specific financial outcome: Maximise Enterprise Value
1. Valuation Cap:
2. Deal Terms:
3. The Bottom Line Math:
A chaotic business generating $200k profit typically sells for ~$300k. That same business—systematised and decoupled from the founder—commands $1M+.
The $700k+ Valuation Delta is what I am actually building. The cost of the Architecture I bring is a rounding error compared to the equity value you get.
- Current: 1.0x–2.0x SDE (Founder-Dependent Risk)
- Target: 3.0x–6.0x EBITDA (System-Driven Asset)
2. Deal Terms:
- Current: 3-Year Earn-out (You are trapped working for the buyer)
- Target: 100% Cash at Close (You walk away with full freedom)
3. The Bottom Line Math:
A chaotic business generating $200k profit typically sells for ~$300k. That same business—systematised and decoupled from the founder—commands $1M+.
The $700k+ Valuation Delta is what I am actually building. The cost of the Architecture I bring is a rounding error compared to the equity value you get.
Case Study
The Intervention (90 Days):
- De-Risk: We documented the "Founder's Brain" into AI Agents for client onboarding and strategy v1.
- Decouple: Promoted an internal Ops Manager to run the new System.
- Deploy: Installed a Real-Time P&L Dashboard to replace weekly manual reports.
- Operational Time: Reduced from 60h → 4h per week.
- Net Margin: Increased from 18% → 32%.
- Exit Result: Acquired 14 months later at a 4.2x Multiple (Cash deal).
WHAT DO YOU GET AFTER AN AUDIT?
Data-backed Grow-to-Exit protocol and a fix roadmap, including a valuation range.
Data-backed Grow-to-Exit protocol and a fix roadmap, including a valuation range.
Starting Point ‘Exit-Readiness’ Audit
The Exit-Readiness Audit
We ingest your P&L and operational data. I identify the specific "Deal Killer" bottlenecks destroying your margins and score your current valuation against M&A standards.
The Architecture Map
You receive a forensic audit breakdown + data-backed Grow-to-Exit protocol and a fix roadmap, including a valuation range. It shows exactly what we need to improve operations and replace manual labour.
The "Keep or Build"
Total risk reversal. You own the blueprint. You can implement the strategy yourself, or hire me to architect the implementation, "Operating System" like an independent board member.
"The 'Fire Me' Guarantee: We build systems to remove me, not keep.
We are rigorous about fit. We do not accept rescue missions for dying models or founders who refuse to change.
Who Qualifies for the "Grow To Exit Protocol"?
The "Green Light" (Who I Help)
The "Red Light" (Who I Reject)
- Business type: Service-based, digital, tech and operational businesses.
- Management: The primary, final decision-maker in the business.
- Team: 10+ employees.
- Revenue: Doing above $50k month. You have product-market fit, but operations are breaking.
- Mindset: You are ready to "fire yourself" from daily operations.
- Goal: You are building for Asset Value (Exit or Autonomy), not just "more leads."
- Identity: You’re already a national champion; we shape you to set world records.
The "Red Light" (Who I Reject)
- Business type: Traditional family businesses, corporations, and solopreneurs.
- Management: intermediaries (managers, agents, and other middlemen), not the final decision-makers.
- Revenue: <$30k/month. (You don't need systems yet; you need to fix sales.)
- Mindset: You want a "Done-For-You" babysitter to manage your staff. (I am an Architect, not your HR manager.)
- Goal: You love micromanaging and refuse to trust people, documented SOPs or AI agents.
- Politics: You need a "Yes Man" to validate your ideas. (I am here to tell you the brutal truth.)
What my clients say
Questions You Should Be Asking (Before We Start)
“Scale to Exit” means taking a business from founder-dependent chaos to a self-running, sellable asset with systems, AI-driven operations and documented playbooks.
The goal is to decouple cash flow from your time and re-engineer the company so buyers see predictable earnings, low risk, and strong multiples. It combines exit-readiness remediation, AI automation, and valuation engineering — yielding a business you can sell faster and at significantly higher value.
This is a surgical transformation that turns a founder-dependent business into a transferable, scalable asset — built to survive due diligence and command a higher valuation.
The goal is to decouple cash flow from your time and re-engineer the company so buyers see predictable earnings, low risk, and strong multiples. It combines exit-readiness remediation, AI automation, and valuation engineering — yielding a business you can sell faster and at significantly higher value.
This is a surgical transformation that turns a founder-dependent business into a transferable, scalable asset — built to survive due diligence and command a higher valuation.
Yes. After the Phase 1 Operational Due Diligence (ODD) audit, we can move straight into Exit Support if the business is already buyer-ready.
The audit is the gate: it confirms whether the key valuation drivers (clean financials, low key-person risk, stable operations, and buyer-grade reporting) are strong enough to run a sale process without destroying value. If the audit surfaces material “deal killers”, we will recommend a short remediation sprint first, so you do not go to market weak.
The audit is the gate: it confirms whether the key valuation drivers (clean financials, low key-person risk, stable operations, and buyer-grade reporting) are strong enough to run a sale process without destroying value. If the audit surfaces material “deal killers”, we will recommend a short remediation sprint first, so you do not go to market weak.
This is designed for service-based, digital, and operational businesses with existing cash flow — typically $30k–$1M+ per month and 10–100 employees.
It is not suitable for large corporations, idea-stage startups, 100% offline models, lifestyle freelancing, or businesses that rely solely on personal reputation.
It is not suitable for large corporations, idea-stage startups, 100% offline models, lifestyle freelancing, or businesses that rely solely on personal reputation.
If it generates revenue, it has a pattern. We have architected 50+ niches—from high-touch agencies to intricate logistics. The 20% of "Creative Magic" stays with you; we systematize the 80% of "Operational Mechanics" that are currently dragging you down.
- Consultants sell Advice (Words).
- Agencies sell Labor (Hours).
- I sell Architecture (Assets).
Pricing is tied to scope and complexity, not hourly time. Engagements are fixed-scope, high-accountability interventions with clear outcomes, not open-ended retainers.
Exit Readiness Audit + Strategy Blueprint: From 7,500 $.
Outcome: a written diagnosis, priority roadmap, numbers, and a next 120-day execution plan with owners, KPIs, and milestones.
Integration Sprint Advisory: Fixed fee per 4-month quarter (priced by complexity).
Format: weekly call + rolling action plan updates.
Outcome: implementation governance—decisions, prioritisation, KPI scoreboard, and unblocker support across your team.
Business Exit Support: success fee on the transaction value (priced by deal size).
Outcome: deal data room, preparation, positioning, buyer search and process support, and deal support through close.
Exit Readiness Audit + Strategy Blueprint: From 7,500 $.
Outcome: a written diagnosis, priority roadmap, numbers, and a next 120-day execution plan with owners, KPIs, and milestones.
Integration Sprint Advisory: Fixed fee per 4-month quarter (priced by complexity).
Format: weekly call + rolling action plan updates.
Outcome: implementation governance—decisions, prioritisation, KPI scoreboard, and unblocker support across your team.
Business Exit Support: success fee on the transaction value (priced by deal size).
- < $1m transaction value: 10%, minimum fee applies.
- $1m–$5m: 6% blended (e.g., 10% on the first $1m, 5% on the rest).
- $5m–$25m: 3–5% blended (e.g., 10% on the first $1m, 3% on the rest).
Outcome: deal data room, preparation, positioning, buyer search and process support, and deal support through close.
No. We usually upgrade your team. We turn chaotic "task-doers" into disciplined "system-operators" using AI tools. However, if a team member refuses to adapt to the new OS, the data will make it obvious they are a bottleneck.
The "Audit" requires only 2-3 hours of your time (Data export + 1 interview).
The "Build" phase requires 2-4 hours/week for high-level approval.
My entire mandate is to remove tasks from your plate, not give you a new job.
The "Build" phase requires 2-4 hours/week for high-level approval.
My entire mandate is to remove tasks from your plate, not give you a new job.
I operate globally.
While I have a strong presence in Asia-Pacific, I work with clients and buyers worldwide. My AI-driven systems and remote processes allow me to work with businesses across all regions, including the U.S., Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.
While I have a strong presence in Asia-Pacific, I work with clients and buyers worldwide. My AI-driven systems and remote processes allow me to work with businesses across all regions, including the U.S., Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.
Business Exit
Do you know a business owner considering an exit?
Refer them to me, and you could earn up to $5,000 for a successful referral!
Refer them to me, and you could earn up to $5,000 for a successful referral!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
UNGLIN CO LTD
Bangkok-based seller-side M&A firm operating in Thailand & SEA.
Disclaimer
«The result may differ in each case and depends on a number of factors»
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