Achieving the impossible Anthony's journey from bootstrapping to selling Swogo

The Big Exit Show

In this conversation, Anthony shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early fascination with sales at the age of 12 to founding Swogo, a company that evolved through multiple pivots. He discusses the challenges and strategies involved in transitioning from B2C to B2B, the importance of customer insights, and innovative sales tactics that helped him build credibility. Anthony also reflects on his experiences with crowdfunding, the decision to avoid traditional VC funding, and the pivotal moment that led him to sell his company, achieving his long-held goal of financial success. In this conversation, Anthony shares his journey through the exit process of his company, detailing the strategies he employed to create interest and FOMO among potential buyers. He discusses the importance of engaging a banker who understands the entrepreneurial mindset, the dynamics of his executive team during the sale, and the timeline of the exit process. Anthony emphasizes the need for entrepreneurs to define their personal goals and the significance of delayed gratification in achieving long-term success. He concludes with insights on maximizing value during the exit process.

What we will talk about:

00:00 The Journey of Entrepreneurship
03:16 From Idea to Product
05:34 Navigating the Retail Landscape
07:49 Innovative Sales Strategies
10:34 Early Influences and Motivation
11:40 Funding the Venture
14:48 Crowdfunding Success
16:48 Sales Skills in Fundraising
18:10 Choosing Crowdfunding Over VC
20:01 The Decision to Exit
21:35 Preparing for the Sale
24:44 Creating FOMO in Acquisition
26:22 Navigating the M&A Process
29:53 Engaging the Right Banker
32:03 Communicating Vision and Value
35:48 The Offer and LOI Process
39:52 Understanding Personal Goals in Exits
41:39 Delayed Gratification and Celebrating Success
43:27 The Entrepreneurial Spirit Continues

Want to know more about Anthony NG Monica:
Anthony worked at a number of startups, including ‘Seedrs‘ and ‘Student Money Saver‘, as well as at Venture Capital Firm ‘DFJ Esprit‘. It was whilst working as an IT Support Analyst that he came up with the idea for Swogo. His colleagues would consistently ask him to help them choose the right electronics product, and even though he kept up-to-date with the industry, he‘d have to research for hours across several sources to find the right product. He felt that there had to be a simpler way, and that‘s when he came up with the idea for Swogo.
You can contact him best through email at: [e-mail]

The Big Exit Show is an initiative by Peak and NP-Hard. Want to know more about Peak and the ventures we back? Check out our website. Want to know more about NP-Hard? Have a look at our website.

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