In partnership with

Big investors are buying this “unlisted” stock

When the founder who sold his last company to Zillow for $120M starts a new venture, people notice. That’s why the same VCs behind Uber and eBay also backed Pacaso. They made $110M+ in gross profit to date. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO. Now, you can join, too.

Invest for $2.90/Share

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}

The Risk You Don’t See Will Kill Your Valuation First

(Edition 32 of The Exponential Blueprint)

Dear Founder,

It’s 11:47 pm.
Your phone rings.
Your biggest customer has just filed for bankruptcy.
Tomorrow morning, 40% of your revenue disappears.

It’s not the call itself that destroys your valuation — it’s what you didn’t put in place to survive it.

"Calculate Your Valuation Risk in 3 Minutes"

Want to know exactly how exposed your business is?
Take the High Valuation Triangle Risk Scorecard and find out where one incident could wipe out your valuation.

Risk Management – The Moat Around Your High Valuation Triangle

The High Valuation Triangle is built on:

1. IP Monetization – Turning your unique ideas into recurring revenue streams.

2. Succession Planning – Building a leadership team so the business thrives without you.

3. Going from Local to Global – Expanding reach, markets, and investor appeal.

If a risk takes down even one side of this triangle, the whole structure can collapse.

Examples:

• IP Monetization → Threats: leaks, weak licensing contracts, copycats.

• Succession Planning → Threats: sudden leadership loss, dependency on one decision-maker.

• Going Global → Threats: geopolitical instability, compliance gaps, currency shocks.

Investors don’t just price your business on what it earns — they price it on how well it survives shocks.

"See Where You’re Most Likely to Lose Millions"

Case Study of Failure – Kodak

• Owned key patents for digital photography in the 1970s.

• Ignored the risk of market disruption.

• Failed to reinvent and globalize their IP in time.

• Valuation Collapse: $31B (1997) → Bankruptcy (2012).
  Founder Takeaway: If you don’t protect and evolve your IP, someone else will profit from it — and your valuation will vanish.

Case Study of Success – Microsoft’s Global Resilience

• Saw risk of leadership vacuum when Bill Gates stepped down.

• Planned succession years ahead (Steve Ballmer → Satya Nadella).

• Globalized aggressively while diversifying IP monetization through Azure, Office 365, and gaming.

• Outcome: Tripled market cap in under a decade.
  Founder Takeaway: Succession planning isn’t a cost — it’s an insurance policy for your valuation.

Below is a video dedicated to a recent Linkedin Post dedicated to Risk Management.

In this post, I analyzed how the Titanic is such a strong example of risk management failure

The Insurance Gap – Your Unseen Valuation Leak

Insurance isn’t just compliance — it’s valuation protection.
Yet most founders underinsure, leaving them one incident away from collapse.

The hard truth:

• 43% of businesses hit by a major disaster never reopen (FEMA, 2023).
  Founder Takeaway: Without insurance, one incident can end decades of work overnight.

• 75% of uninsured small businesses fail within 2 years of a major loss.
  Founder Takeaway: Cash reserves can’t replace structured coverage when the worst happens.

• Average uninsured loss from a single cyberattack in 2024: $4.45M (IBM).
  Founder Takeaway: If you store data, you’re already a target — protect it like a physical asset.

• Disney: In 2016, hurricane protection saved them $170M in lost park revenue after Hurricane Matthew — avoiding an earnings miss that could have rattled shareholders.
  Founder Takeaway: Insurance can protect not just assets, but investor confidence and share price.

The 5 Most Expensive Mistakes Founders Make Before Exit

Household Name Examples

• Sony: 2011 cyberattack → $171M direct costs. Cyber liability insurance softened the blow — without it, losses would have been catastrophic.
  Founder Takeaway: Cyber risks aren’t just for tech companies — every brand is one click away from crisis.

• Apple: Global supply chain insurance meant that even when the 2011 Japan earthquake hit a key supplier, production delays were minimal.
  Founder Takeaway: Protecting your supply chain protects your customer promises and valuation multiple.

• Nike: Business interruption insurance kept earnings steady during Vietnam factory flooding — protecting share price.
  Founder Takeaway: If one country’s disruption can halt production, you’re gambling with your valuation.

Below is a YouTube short video from the upcoming podcast with James Hunt, private market expert.

Discover the fascinating story of Gavin Oldham. Do not miss this story about share trading democratisation.

Why Insurance Fits in the High Valuation Triangle

• IP Monetization → IP infringement insurance, patent defense coverage.

• Succession Planning → Key person insurance, directors & officers (D&O) liability.

• Going Global → Political risk insurance, trade credit, cross-border liability coverage.

Think of insurance as your pre-funded recovery plan — the bridge between disaster and resilience.

Your Valuation ‘Moat’ Audit

✅ Founder Risk Management & Insurance Checklist

1. Map your single points of failure in IP, succession, and international operations.

2. Identify which risks can be transferred to insurance.

3. Audit existing policies — are you underinsured?

4. Explore coverage for: IP, key person, D&O, cyber, political risk, trade credit.

5. Review annually and update as you scale globally.

From Collapse to 12x Exit — See the Difference"

M&A : The Expert Corner, From Indonesia

The Discipline of Time: Why Timelines Are Critical in M&A

The pace of an M&A transaction is a decisive factor in its success. A disciplined timeline is not merely a schedule; it is a strategic tool that mitigates risk, preserves value, and ensures long-term success.

The Cost of Delay:

• Value Erosion: Protracted deal timelines expose the transaction to external risks, from shifting economic conditions to increased regulatory scrutiny. This uncertainty can erode stakeholder confidence and force costly renegotiations of the original deal terms.

• Loss of Momentum: Delays often come with a high financial cost and can jeopardize time-sensitive synergies. The longer a deal remains in limbo, the more likely key talent will become disengaged or depart, directly impacting the value proposition.

Post-Close Imperatives:

Once the deal is closed, an effective timeline becomes the blueprint for a successful integration. It is essential for realizing anticipated synergies, maintaining employee morale, and creating a clear path for the combined entity's future growth.

Would you like to discuss further?

Marguerite Bolze

[email protected]

Below is our Podcast with Marguerite Bolze.

Marguerite has completed 14 M&A transactions in Asia and it was a privilege to share her experiences.

Final Word

Your High Valuation Triangle is your castle.
Risk management is the moat.
Insurance is the water that fills it.

Investors don’t fund castles without moats — and they won’t overpay for a business that can’t prove it’s resilient.

📩 Join 22,000+ founders, investors, and executives who build resilient, investor-ready businesses every week in The Exponential Blueprint.

Don’t be the founder reading about someone else’s win — be the one making headlines.

To Your Exponential Success,

Matteo Turi

Chief Financial Officer | The Exponential Blueprint