We want a clear test of our exit readiness before hiring an investment banker. How can an owner stress-test the company by stepping away completely for 90 days to prove true enterprise independence?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The most definitive exit readiness signal is not your EBITDA; it is whether the company grows while you are completely unreachable. Sophisticated buyers test for founder reliance during due diligence. You should run that test yourself while you still have time to fix the operational cracks.

Schedule a mandatory 90-day sabbatical where you do not attend weekly Level 10 Meetings, answer emails, or sign contracts. Six months before stepping away, ensure your Accountability Chart clearly separates your seats from operational leadership. Your Integrator must own day-to-day execution, and your leadership team must have full ownership of their quarterly Rocks and departmental scorecards.

During the 90 days, the business must run purely on your operational operating system. When issues arise, the leadership team must use IDS to solve them without calling you. The weekly Level 10 Meeting must proceed on schedule, and scorecard measurables must stay on track. If you return after three months and find revenue grew, customers were retained, and cash flow held steady, you have empirical proof of transferability. If the business stalled, stumbled, or waited for your approval, you have identified the exact bottlenecks buyers would have penalized in your valuation.