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A Grit podcast episode with Ben Chestnut, co-founder and former CEO of Mailchimp, on what life is like after selling the company. Intuit bought Mailchimp in 2021 for $12 billion. Chestnut's core advice is about the emotional side of an exit: it takes months to unwind CEO stress, and he found a dog helped.
We link to the original and never republish it. All credit to Ben Chestnut.
Key takeaways
- Intuit bought Mailchimp in 2021 for $12 billion and asked Chestnut to stay on as CEO, but he chose to walk away and let the new owners take over.
- Chestnut estimates it took 6 to 12 months before he stopped checking email, social media and his calendar with CEO-level stress, so plan for a slow adjustment after an exit.
- Chestnut's advice to founders who sell is to get a dog. He says it forces you to get OK with the voices in your head.
- He describes the dog as good therapy because there are no judgments from a dog, and says walking it is all he did after the acquisition.
Who it's for
Founders who are thinking about selling, or have just sold, and want to know what the emotional aftermath can look like.
Why it's worth your time
The exit happened in 2021, but Chestnut's point about how long it takes to stop living like a CEO should still hold for any founder who sells.
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