In this episode of The EXIT Podcast, we sit down with Aydin Mirzaee, co-founder of FluidSurveys and now CEO of Fellow.app. Aydin shares how he built and scaled FluidSurveys into a major player in the online survey space — only to sell it to their sworn enemy, SurveyMonkey. What looked like a dream exit turned into a temporary identity crisis, forcing him to question who he was without the company he built.Aydin opens up about navigating that existential low, why exits don’t always equal happiness, and how he ultimately found his next chapter building Fellow, a market leader in the meeting note taking space powered by AI. From building against the odds, to selling to a rival, to rebuilding meaning after the payday — this episode is raw, insightful, and packed with lessons for every founder.🎧 Listen now to learn:What it’s like to sell your startup to your biggest competitorWhy the “post-exit high” can quickly turn into a personal lowHow Aydin rebuilt confidence and clarity to start againWhat he’s doing differently at Fellow to align purpose with business📍 About Aydin Mirzaee:Aydin is a Canadian entrepreneur and the co-founder of FluidSurveys, acquired by SurveyMonkey in 2014. Today he leads Fellow.app, a meeting productivity platform backed by top investors, and advocates for healthier, more intentional company cultures.🧠 Subscribe to The EXIT Podcast for more unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve built, sold, and reinvented themselves.Timestamps:0:00:00 – Introduction & Aydin’s Early Entrepreneurial Journey0:01:47 – Founding Fluid Surveys & Entering a Crowded Market0:04:01 – Finding a Niche: Accessibility & Canadian Data Sovereignty0:05:55 – Pivoting to Enterprise & Discovering High-Value Customers0:10:38 – The Role of Co-Founders and Experience in Startup Success0:14:54 – Bootstrapping, Growth, and Financial Struggles0:17:29 – First Contact with SurveyMonkey: Friend or Foe?0:23:47 – Acquisition Negotiations: Tactics and Challenges0:30:24 – Custom Contracts and Due Diligence Hurdles0:32:54 – Employee Buy-In and Closing Conditions0:36:40 – Timeline of the Exit Process & Competing Offers0:40:57 – Negotiating the Sale Price & Currency Lessons0:46:43 – Life After the Exit: Identity and Finding the Next Venture0:49:35 – Overcoming Overthinking: The Importance of Starting and Pivoting0:55:52 – Lessons for Founders Considering an Exit0:57:56 – Providing Context and Transparency Post-Acquisition1:03:59 – Life-Changing Impact of the Exit & Personal Reflections1:12:39 – Giving Back: Helping Other Founders and Angel Investing1:17:25 – Final Advice: The Journey, Compounding, and Moving the Needle💬 Leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode – it helps us grow and reach more founders.🔗 Follow the Guests & HostsTHE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.groupInstagram – /theexit.groupAydin Mirzaee – /aydinmirzaeeAdrian Salamunovic – /adriansalamunovic