What do you do when the dot-com bust kills your $15M funding round just two weeks before closing? In this episode, Bruce Eckfeldt speaks with Roy Vella, co-founder of NetAbacus (later Rivio), who faced a sudden capital crisis in 2000. Instead of folding, he created an employee salary deferral program that extended runway and impressed potential buyers. Roy shares how transparency, co-opetition, and integratable business models shaped the acquisition and his later career at PayPal and beyond. Founders will learn hard-earned lessons about resilience, deal-making, and preparing companies to thrive even when markets collapse.

Key Takeaways

• Crises demand creativity: salary deferral saved months of runway and impressed acquirers.
  
• Transparency builds trust and accelerates deal-making during tough markets.
  
• Employee commitment and culture directly affect perceived acquisition value.
  
• Founders must embrace external visibility—storytelling is as critical as strategy.
  
• Integration-friendly businesses (API mindset) are far more attractive to buyers.
  
• Co-opetition often unlocks unexpected deal opportunities.
  
• Post-exit transitions can be jarring; expect emotional and cultural shifts.
• Strategic investor targeting includes competitors’ backers—who often want diversification.

Links & Resources

• Roy Vella
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/royvella

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