Guy Solomon on Buying a Company, Losing 90% of Revenue, and Still Winning

Guy Solomon on Buying a Company, Losing 90% of Revenue, and Still Winning

Guy Solomon left investment banking to buy a small business. After years at Barclays and Wells Fargo, he went deep into the world of Search Funds and Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) in Israel — a market filled with profitable, often overlooked SMEs that nobody was really institutionalizing yet. But this wasn’t a straight-line success story. Guy screened more than 8,000 companies, met with 150+ owners, acquired Dublo, and then had the business stress-tested almost immediately. COVID hit. Revenue dropped roughly 90%. A major database corruption nearly took the company down. Suddenly, the work wasn’t about models or deal structure anymore it was about customers, cash flow, leadership, and keeping a team steady when the pressure got real. Years later, the company was successfully sold to a TA Associates-backed buyer. This conversation is a grounded look at what buying and operating a business actually feels like once the acquisition closes: • How Search Funds and ETA work in practice • What makes an owner-operated business worth buying • Why “boring” businesses are often much harder than they look • How to lead when revenue disappears almost overnight • What customer obsession looks like operationally — not just philosophically • Why EOS and core values only matter if they hold up under stress • And what changes when you go from advising companies to carrying payroll yourself If you’re an entrepreneur, operator, investor, or someone thinking about buying a business instead of starting one from zero, this episode gets into the parts people usually leave out. Check out the full episode notes, transcripts, and all links on Substack: 👉 https://aggaeus.com/ [https://aggaeus.com/] SPONSORS - EXCLUSIVE FOR AGGAEUS PODCAST LISTENERS: KARDZ.BIZ BUY 2, GET 3 ON KARDZ.BIZ — UP TO $479 VALUE. [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] AGGAEUSB2G3PREMIUM - for PREMIUM cards AGGAEUSB2G3PRO+ - for PRO+ cards When face-to-face impressions matter, pull out Kardz.Biz, the “business card too good to give away”. Use this link: https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE SAVE 10% ON BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE’S GLP-1 PROGRAMS WITH CODE AGGAEUS10 (LIMITED TIME). [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] Better Weight For Life is a transformational weight loss program led by a U.S. board-certified physician—designed to keep it simple: personalized GLP-1 treatment, expert support, and discreet delivery. They offer options including Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Zepbound®, Mounjaro®, plus compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide (eligibility depends on your medical evaluation). Claim the offer here: https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] CONNECT WITH GUY SOLOMON LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/guysolomon/] Trail Mark Partners [https://trailmarkpartners.com/] CONNECT WITH HAGGAI LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/klormaneraqi/] FOLLOW AGGAEUS Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aggaeus] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@AggaeusOfficial] SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aggaeus/id1844550735] INQUIRIES 💼 Sponsorships / Business: talktous@aggaeus.com [talktous@aggaeus.com] 🎙 Podcast: DM via Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] DISCLAIMER Some links may earn affiliate commissions. Offers, terms, and availability may change without notice. Aggaeus content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should conduct your own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions. We may feature companies, products, or entities in which Aggaeus, its affiliates, or the author have invested or may invest, or with which they have had, have, or may have a financial, professional, or other relationship.

This Startup Built a Robot to Fight Wildfires | Gadi Benjamini, CEO of FireDome

In this episode, Haggai Klorman Eraqi sits down with Gadi Benjamini, Co-Founder & CEO of FireDome, an ex–Israeli intelligence operator from Unit 81 turned deep-tech founder building an autonomous, on-site wildfire defense system. This conversation starts with collapse: Gadi shutting down his first climate startup after October 7, going through the emotional crash that follows, and then finding his way into a problem that feels almost ancient and futuristic at the same time: fire. Wildfires are no longer distant natural disasters. They are becoming a stress test for humanity for our infrastructure, insurance systems, communities, governments, and ability to protect what we love before it disappears. Gadi and his co-founder, Adi Naor Pomerantz, saw what many people only realize after the smoke clears: insurance may compensate you, but it does not protect your home, your vineyard, your factory, your campsite, your memories, or your continuity. That insight became FireDome: a hardware-software system designed to detect, prepare for, and suppress wildfire threats on-site before they become unstoppable. We get tactical on: • Why “insurance ≠ protection” • The human drama behind wildfires: homes, communities, wineries, campsites, and generational businesses lost in hours • Why fires expose the limits of modern civilization • The FireDome approach: firebreak + structure coating + rapid detection/suppression • How ember showers create a domino effect through neighborhoods • Hardware realities: capsules, cadence, water logistics, wind, manufacturing, and deployment • What Palisades-style fires revealed about prevention, firefighting, and resilience • How founders can capture attention authentically by speaking directly to the pain people already feel This is a conversation about deep tech, climate adaptation, founder resilience, and what it means to build when the problem is not theoretical — it is already burning. Check out the full episode notes, transcripts, and all links on Substack: 👉 https://aggaeus.com/ [https://aggaeus.com/] SPONSORS - EXCLUSIVE FOR AGGAEUS PODCAST LISTENERS: KARDZ.BIZ BUY 2, GET 3 ON KARDZ.BIZ — UP TO $479 VALUE. [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] AGGAEUSB2G3PREMIUM - for PREMIUM cards AGGAEUSB2G3PRO+ - for PRO+ cards When face-to-face impressions matter, pull out Kardz.Biz, the “business card too good to give away”. Use this link: https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE SAVE 10% ON BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE’S GLP-1 PROGRAMS WITH CODE AGGAEUS10 (LIMITED TIME). [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] Better Weight For Life is a transformational weight loss program led by a U.S. board-certified physician—designed to keep it simple: personalized GLP-1 treatment, expert support, and discreet delivery. They offer options including Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Zepbound®, Mounjaro®, plus compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide (eligibility depends on your medical evaluation). Claim the offer here: https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] CONNECT WITH GADI BENJAMINI LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gadi-benjamini-a5544520a/] FireDome [https://www.fire-dome.com/] CONNECT WITH HAGGAI LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/klormaneraqi/] FOLLOW AGGAEUS Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aggaeus] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@AggaeusOfficial] SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aggaeus/id1844550735] INQUIRIES 💼 Sponsorships / Business: talktous@aggaeus.com [talktous@aggaeus.com] 🎙 Podcast: DM via Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] DISCLAIMER Some links may earn affiliate commissions. Offers, terms, and availability may change without notice. Aggaeus content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should conduct your own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions. We may feature companies, products, or entities in which Aggaeus, its affiliates, or the author have invested or may invest, or with which they have had, have, or may have a financial, professional, or other relationship.

Elizabeth Zalman on Why Investors Aren’t Your Friends

Elizabeth Zalman is a 4x founder who’s raised ~$80M, built StrongDM, and now leads Sandgarden while also co-authoring "Founder vs Investor: The Honest Truth About Venture Capital from Startup to IPO" with Jerry Neumann. We talk about how she started as a scrappy eBay/consignment hustle that forced Elizabeth to build software before she ever “became a founder.” Then we go deep on her hard-earned lessons on how to choose investors, run boards without losing control, and why her rule is “Never send your deck.” In this episode, we cover: • The “Never Send Your Deck” rule—and how it changes your fundraising dynamics • Why investors aren’t your friends (and how to build a healthy, productive relationship anyway) • How to run board meetings that actually help (including when to use pre-reads vs live discussion) • Sandgarden’s pivot into Doc.Holiday and what AI changes about shipping code and documenting it Check out the full episode notes, transcripts, and all links on Substack: 👉 https://aggaeus.com/ [https://aggaeus.com/] SPONSORS - EXCLUSIVE FOR AGGAEUS PODCAST LISTENERS: KARDZ.BIZ BUY 2, GET 3 ON KARDZ.BIZ — UP TO $479 VALUE. [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] AGGAEUSB2G3PREMIUM - for PREMIUM cards AGGAEUSB2G3PRO+ - for PRO+ cards When face-to-face impressions matter, pull out Kardz.Biz, the “business card too good to give away”. Use this link: https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE SAVE 10% ON BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE’S GLP-1 PROGRAMS WITH CODE AGGAEUS10 (LIMITED TIME). [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] Better Weight For Life is a transformational weight loss program led by a U.S. board-certified physician—designed to keep it simple: personalized GLP-1 treatment, expert support, and discreet delivery. They offer options including Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Zepbound®, Mounjaro®, plus compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide (eligibility depends on your medical evaluation). Claim the offer here: https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH ZALMAN LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethzalman/] Sandgarden [https://www.sandgarden.com/] CONNECT WITH HAGGAI LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/klormaneraqi/] FOLLOW AGGAEUS Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] TikTok [ https://www.tiktok.com/@aggaeus] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@AggaeusOfficial] SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aggaeus/id1844550735] INQUIRIES 💼 Sponsorships / Business: talktous@aggaeus.com [ talktous@aggaeus.com] 🎙 Podcast: DM via Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] DISCLAIMER Some links may earn affiliate commissions. Offers, terms, and availability may change without notice. Aggaeus content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should conduct your own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions. We may feature companies, products, or entities in which Aggaeus, its affiliates, or the author have invested or may invest, or with which they have had, have, or may have a financial, professional, or other relationship.

Eric Malka & The Art of Shaving from Start-Up to a P&G Exit

Eric Malka arrived in NYC on a Greyhound bus with no money, no education, and no green card, and then built The Art of Shaving from a single 200-sq-ft shop into a $100M+ brand acquired by Procter & Gamble. We talk about turning story + customer obsession into a premium brand from creation to exit. We unpack: • The “New York Times moment” that took sales from $10K/month to $10K/day • How to build a culture that scales (and why one bad salesperson can kill a brand) • M&A lessons: earn-outs, bankers, fear/greed, and protecting founders from themselves • What Eric does now: Strategic Brand Investments helping founders win in beauty, wellness, and grooming Check out the full episode notes, transcripts, and all links on Substack: 👉 https://aggaeus.com/ [https://aggaeus.com/] SPONSORS - EXCLUSIVE FOR AGGAEUS PODCAST LISTENERS: KARDZ.BIZ BUY 2, GET 3 ON KARDZ.BIZ — UP TO $479 VALUE. [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] AGGAEUSB2G3PREMIUM - for PREMIUM cards AGGAEUSB2G3PRO+ - for PRO+ cards When face-to-face impressions matter, pull out Kardz.Biz, the “business card too good to give away”. Use this link: https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE SAVE 10% ON BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE’S GLP-1 PROGRAMS WITH CODE AGGAEUS10 (LIMITED TIME). [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] Better Weight For Life is a transformational weight loss program led by a U.S. board-certified physician—designed to keep it simple: personalized GLP-1 treatment, expert support, and discreet delivery. They offer options including Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Zepbound®, Mounjaro®, plus compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide (eligibility depends on your medical evaluation). Claim the offer here: https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] CONNECT WITH ERIC MALKA LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-malka-9071529/] Website [https://strategicbrandinvestments.com/] CONNECT WITH HAGGAI LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/klormaneraqi/] FOLLOW AGGAEUS Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aggaeus] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@AggaeusOfficial] SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aggaeus/id1844550735] INQUIRIES 💼 Sponsorships / Business: talktous@aggaeus.com [talktous@aggaeus.com] 🎙 Podcast: DM via Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] DISCLAIMER Some links may earn affiliate commissions. Offers, terms, and availability may change without notice. Aggaeus content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should conduct your own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions. We may feature companies, products, or entities in which Aggaeus, its affiliates, or the author have invested or may invest, or with which they have had, have, or may have a financial, professional, or other relationship. #Entrepreneurship #Branding #Retail #Leadership #Acquisition

Ra’anan Cohen: IPOs, Unicorns & Black Swans, oh my!

Ra’anan Cohen has lived the full founder arc: he built one company to an IPO (MobileMax), built another into a unicorn (Bringg), then wrote a brutally honest memoir that became a bestselling business book in Israel—and is now being adapted into a TV series. In this episode, Ra’anan and Haggai go into the decisions that define a founder’s life: the moment Ra’anan turned down a $10M offer to take money off the table (and what it taught him about risk, ego, and timing), the “Black Swan” events you can’t predict (like the iPhone) that can erase entire business models overnight, and the messy reality of boards, investors, and secondaries—when to take chips off the table, and when to stay hungry. What you’ll learn: • How to think about “life-changing money” vs. “founder pride” • Why Black Swans hit founders harder than markets—and how to build resilience anyway • The real tradeoffs of secondaries, dilution, and investor dynamics • What Ra’anan wishes he knew from the beginning Check out the full episode notes, transcripts, and all links on Substack: 👉 https://aggaeus.com/ [https://aggaeus.com/] SPONSORS - EXCLUSIVE FOR AGGAEUS PODCAST LISTENERS: KARDZ.BIZ BUY 2, GET 3 ON KARDZ.BIZ — UP TO $479 VALUE. [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] AGGAEUSB2G3PREMIUM - for PREMIUM cards AGGAEUSB2G3PRO+ - for PRO+ cards When face-to-face impressions matter, pull out Kardz.Biz, the “business card too good to give away”. Use this link: https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty [https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty] BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE SAVE 10% ON BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE’S GLP-1 PROGRAMS WITH CODE AGGAEUS10 (LIMITED TIME). [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] Better Weight For Life is a transformational weight loss program led by a U.S. board-certified physician—designed to keep it simple: personalized GLP-1 treatment, expert support, and discreet delivery. They offer options including Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Zepbound®, Mounjaro®, plus compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide (eligibility depends on your medical evaluation). Claim the offer here: https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus [https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus] CONNECT WITH RA’ANAN COHEN LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/raananc/] Website [https://www.raanancohen.com/] CONNECT WITH HAGGAI LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/klormaneraqi/] FOLLOW AGGAEUS Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aggaeus] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@AggaeusOfficial] SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aggaeus/id1844550735] INQUIRIES 💼 Sponsorships / Business: talktous@aggaeus.com [talktous@aggaeus.com] 🎙 Podcast: DM via Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aggaeus/] DISCLAIMER Some links may earn affiliate commissions. Offers, terms, and availability may change without notice. Aggaeus content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should conduct your own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions. We may feature companies, products, or entities in which Aggaeus, its affiliates, or the author have invested or may invest, or with which they have had, have, or may have a financial, professional, or other relationship. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #Leadership #Unicorn