Deal Mechanics

Sep 23, 2026

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5 min read

Arguing About Deferred Revenues

Why buyers want a haircut on deals you closed (and collected on)

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Balance Sheet Diligence for Founder Owned Targets

Sep 9, 2026

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5 min read

Balance Sheet Diligence for Founder Owned Targets

The most common balance sheet land mines on founder owned balance sheets

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Why We Gave the Strategics a Six-Week Head Start

Aug 26, 2026

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6 min read

Why We Gave the Strategics a Six-Week Head Start

Sequencing the sale process timeline for Strategics vs Financial Sponsors

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Aug 19, 2026

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5 min read

Firing Your Banker Doesn't End the Fee

Negotiating the "tail clause" for your investment banker, and the implications

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Aug 12, 2026

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6 min read

Negotiating Banker Fees

Breaking down banker success fees, and what counts as the total consideration

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Jul 29, 2026

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6 min read

Every Cap Table You Inherit Is Wrong

The most common cap table hiccups discovered at close

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Jul 22, 2026

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6 min read

Remember: The Working Capital Lookback Is a Negotiation, Not a Formula

Breaking down the factors that influence the timeframe you choose

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Jul 15, 2026

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5 min read

Escrow vs. Earnout

The Two Ways Your Sale Price Shrinks After You Shake Hands

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Cash-Free, Debt-Free: The Cash You Don't Actually Get to Keep

Jul 1, 2026

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6 min read

Cash-Free, Debt-Free: The Cash You Don't Actually Get to Keep

What counts as cash during M&A negotiations, and what gets discounted or trapped

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Debt-Like Items: Where the Final Equity Check Actually Gets Decided

May 20, 2026

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6 min read

Debt-Like Items: Where the Final Equity Check Actually Gets Decided

What counts as "debt like"?

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Key-Man Risk 101: What to Expect as a Future PE-Backed Exec During Negotiations

May 13, 2026

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7 min read

Key-Man Risk 101: What to Expect as a Future PE-Backed Exec During Negotiations

How to prepare for negotiations and partnership with your future PE sponsor

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

The Tax Mechanic That Showed The Whole Company My Comp

May 6, 2026

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6 min read

The Tax Mechanic That Showed The Whole Company My Comp

What is a 280G Gross Up?

CJ Gustafson

Deal Mechanics

Arguing About Deferred Revenues

Balance Sheet Diligence for Founder Owned Targets

Why We Gave the Strategics a Six-Week Head Start

Firing Your Banker Doesn't End the Fee

Negotiating Banker Fees

Every Cap Table You Inherit Is Wrong

Remember: The Working Capital Lookback Is a Negotiation, Not a Formula

Escrow vs. Earnout

Cash-Free, Debt-Free: The Cash You Don't Actually Get to Keep

Debt-Like Items: Where the Final Equity Check Actually Gets Decided

Key-Man Risk 101: What to Expect as a Future PE-Backed Exec During Negotiations

The Tax Mechanic That Showed The Whole Company My Comp

Looking for Leverage

Looking for Leverage