Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition 101

5.0

(4 ratings)

·

3 Weeks

·

Cohort-based Course

Cut through the hype and learn if buying a business is right for you.

Course overview

Learn whether Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition is right for you

For most people, entrepreneurship means starting a company from scratch. Buying and operating an existing company - aka Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition - is an alternative path to entrepreneurship that has gained popularity in recent years.


You might have seen the posts on social media: "Buy a boring business with no money down!" "My portfolio of car washes generates $700k / year in income!" This course helps you cut through the hype and understand the pain and joy in taking the leap to buy a company.


The course is structured around answering three questions:


1) What are the different ways I can acquire a business?


2) What are the activities, skills and financial resources I'll need to acquire a business?


3) What are the potential financial outcomes associated with buying a business?


This course is designed to help you understand if Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition is right for you. A combination of classroom leaning and real-world exercises will create clarity about whether ETA is a fit for you.

Who is this course for

01

ETA Explorers

You're curious about buying a company and want to know if it's right for you

02

Tech Professionals

Pivot from building products to building companies  

03

Aspiring Founders

Explore a different path to business ownership

What you’ll get out of this course

Decide if Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition is right for you

I spent six months deciding if ETA was right for me. I conducted over 50 interviews and listened to over 100 hours of audio and read multiple books and articles. This course boils my learning into a succinct cirrciulculm that will help you determine if ETA is a fit for you.

Get your hands dirty with real-world exercises

This isn't just a classroom exercise - participants will conduct outreach to business brokers & owners and analyze companies that are currently for sale.

Clear next steps

If you decide to pursue ETA, the course will point you in the right direction to get started. Accountability groups with other students will keep you on track if you decide to pursue ETA, and Chris holds a weekly "Office Hours" after the course .

This course includes

3 interactive live sessions

Lifetime access to course materials

In-depth lessons

Direct access to instructor

Projects to apply learnings

Guided feedback & reflection

Private community of peers

Course certificate upon completion

Maven Satisfaction Guarantee

This course is backed by Maven’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.

Course syllabus

Week 1

Nov 1—Nov 5

    Nov

    2

    Session 1

    Thu 11/212:00 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)

    #0: Orientation

    2 items

    #1 ETA Methods: Self Funded Search, Search Funds and More

    4 items

Week 2

Nov 6—Nov 12

    Nov

    9

    Session 2

    Thu 11/91:00 AM—2:30 AM (UTC)

    #2: Activities and Skills

    8 items

Week 3

Nov 13—Nov 15

    Nov

    16

    Session 3

    Thu 11/161:00 AM—2:30 AM (UTC)

    #3a: Outcomes: Finance & Modeling 101

    3 items

    #3b: Outcomes: Self Funded Search

    2 items

    #3c: Outcomes: Search Funds

    2 items

Post-course

    Resources

    4 items

Bonus

    Outreach Best Practices

    2 items

    Lead Management

    2 items

    Mental & Emotional Supporting

    2 items

5.0

(4 ratings)

What students are saying

Meet your instructor

Chris Tyler

Chris Tyler

I've always wanted to take the leap to entrepreneurship, but being a startup founder wasn't right for me.


When I learned about Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA), I was intrigued and also overwhelmed by the possibilities. Should I raise a search fund? Start a software holdco?


I spent six months learning about different ways to participate in ETA, and in June 2023 I left my job at Meta and raised a search fund.


I created this course to help people shortcut the process of learning if ETA is right for them.

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

Course schedule

2-4 hours per week

  • Wednesday Live Classes

    5:00pm - 7:30pm PT

    Each class will optional pre-work and follow-on projects. All classes will be recorded. ~50% of class time will be interactive and attendance is strongly encouraged.

  • Friday Office Hours

    2:00pm - 3:00pm PT

    Chris will be available to answer questions and brainstorm next steps for your ETA journey.

  • Guest Speakers

    Three sessions, timing TBD

    We'll talk to three people currently on the ETA path. Speakers will be selected based on interest from class attendees.

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Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition 101