I Did the Math and the 'Safe' Path Is Bullshit
Why boring businesses, ugly ass 1× exits, and cash flow beat waiting 30 years to feel secure
Bros, I had a realization recently that messed me up a little.
Buying a business doesn’t actually scare me.
Waiting forever under the excuse of “being smart” does.
And, if you’re new around here, before any of y’all misread this - I haven’t closed my first deal yet.
But let’s be clear: I’m not sitting around daydreaming either.
I’m deep in it. Talking to brokers. Reviewing listings daily. Underwriting deals.
Running numbers until they either break … or hold.
This post exists because I’m in motion, not because I’m stuck.
I’ve got the consulting gig holding things down for now. Bills covered. Runway secured. Cash stacking.
All this is to say, I fk’n refuse to drift into the default script we’ve all been fed.
You know the one:
Grind the W2
Max the 401k
Toss leftovers into index funds
Hope compound interest does the heavy lifting
That life might be “safe,” but I’m not about that shit.
And tbh, the more deals I look at, the clearer my conviction I’m on the right path becomes.
Welcome new BuyBros to The $10M Acquisition Journal 🎉!
Missed the last one ( it’s a banger, but they all are tbh )? Read here 👇
Here’s an uncomfortable truth I had to face.
You can be busy and still be avoiding the decision.
I’d open listings at night like I was about to pull the trigger … then close them with, “One more week. One more pass.”
I’ve lied to myself - I’m just being disciplined bro!
But, honestly, sometimes discipline feels like fear wearing a spreadsheet. A dope spreadsheet, but s spreadsheet nonetheless.
Analysis feels productive. Ownership feels exposed.
One keeps you comfortable. The other forces you to step TF up.
What snapped me out of this autopilot wasn’t a guru or a podcast clip.
Being an engineer, I’m well tuned into patterns. I mean, as a human, we’re naturally good, but I’m like SUPER good haha. Especially when it relates to myself.
The guys I respect most didn’t start with home runs. They didn’t wait for perfect conditions.
They bought something that fit their deal box, not just anything.
Usually boring. Usually small. Usually imperfect.
Fkn level ZERO stuff ( yes, engineers index at 0, and you should, too! ).
They’re out here picking up laundromats, vending routes, storage facilities, self-serve car washes.
They’re not chasing clout.
They’re not going to get a grand applause.
They’re just quickly stacking cash flow and responsibility. Learning the business of acquisition!
Level ZERO is where the pretending stops. The goal for the moment is not to buy a machine that runs itself ( I can’t afford that right now lol ).
I’m not buying a “platform.” I’m more interested in buying responsibility.
The books are definitely messy. Processes ( ha! ) live in the seller’s head. Employees, if they exist, learned by watching someone else once and hoping that stuck.
I’m not looking for polish. I want some friction, because that’s where the learning happens.
And while I haven’t crossed the line yet, I’m close enough to see exactly what’s on the other side.
Here’s what really changed how I look at this game.
Everyone obsesses over exit multiples like that’s the scoreboard.
1x sounds boring. 5x sounds legendary - and let’s be honest, it is pretty dope.
But I think that framing misses the point entirely.
The real difference isn’t the multiple.
For this first one, I’m really honing in on what the asset pays me before I ever sell it.
Once I sat down and ran through some actual numbers - not some fantasy math, real MAN math 😂, the traditional path started looking a lot less impressive. Not that I was all that impressed with it, as I’m sure you’ve picked up by now.
Most people with the acquisition bug skip this part
They endlessly argue theory without touching numbers. Debating exits without asking what the asset throws off along the way!
Below is the exact math I’m using right now as I evaluate Level ZERO deals, before my first acquisition, not after my bomb ass victory lap.
If you want to see how boring businesses stack up against that lame ass W2 + index fund life — upside and downside —
This is where shit gets real 👇
