Scaling and Exiting Multiple Tech Companies

Guest Profile

Ryan Buckley was CEO of MightySignal, a mobile app data company, which he sold to AirNow in 2021. Prior to leading MightySignal, Ryan was co-founder and CEO of Scripted, a marketplace for content marketers. He is the author of The Parallel Entrepreneur and an associate professor at Diablo Valley College where he also sits on the board of the DVC Foundation. Ryan holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and environmental sciences from UC Berkeley, a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

• Company: MightySignal
  
• Location:  Lafayette, California
  
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/rbuckley
  
• Website:   www.mightysignal.com, www.rbucks.com
  
• Phone:      (510) 325-7039
  
• Email:       ryan@toofr.llc

Topics Covered

• What was your first startup? [6:20]
• How difficult was it to raise venture capital? [9:45]
• How much equity did you have to give up? [11:00]
• Would you have been able to get it off the ground if you couldn’t raise money? [12:15]
• Why would a private equity firm acquire a small tech firm? [22:00]
• What was the most difficult thing about getting the deal done? [23:45]
• Would you raise money from a venture capital firm again? [26:30]
• What did you do after you sold Scripted? [28:50]
• How long did it take for your next venture to get in the black? [31:30]
• Do you need to know about coding to start a tech company? [35:00]
• Do you believe in outsourcing? [36:40]
• Should you go solo or get a co-founder? [40:00]
• What’s the most difficult thing in starting tech companies? [40:50]

Resources Mentioned

• The Parallel Entrepreneur: How to start and run B2B businesses while keeping your day job
• Angel Investing: The Gust Guide to Making Money and Having Fun Investing in Startups