Hey EPIC Networkers!

I'm so excited to be part of this amazing community of entrepreneurs who are all about doing M&A deals together. And that's exactly why I joined this group—to work with all of you!

I know we all have different opinions, but I wanted to share my own "rules of the road" for working together so we can all benefit from each other's knowledge and networks. My style is informed by my career in Silicon Valley, which has a different ethos than some other places, but has served me well so far.

Here are my core principles:

• Seek to add value. Make introductions, answer questions, and review materials for free, as long as you have the time. Helping others succeed is how you get invited into the best deals.

• Your network is only as valuable as the introductions you make. Freely connect people who will benefit each other. Always double opt-in.

• Equity is only for clear value exchange. Only grant or ask for equity when someone brings clear and undeniable value to a deal. If you’re not sure, find a way to work together first!

• No pay to play. This is a long term game. For simple requests, it’s better to help without seeking equity or other compensation unless you add unique and extraordinary value.

• Respect deal flow. When someone entrusts you with a deal, never ever go around them and always adhere to the NDA. If you have a pre-existing relationship or a conflict, disclose it immediately.

Here's how this applies to my practice:

1. Ask away.  I'm happy to look at any deal and offer my perspective or answer questions for free. If I can't help or don’t have the time, I'll let you know, so don’t be shy. My areas of expertise are especially in tech, AI, remote work, software, negotiations, strategy, and growing and selling businesses. Building more transactional experience too!

2. Dedicated time. If you need more of my time than I can provide for free, we can discuss paid consulting. Consulting isn’t my main focus so I generally only take on cases where I think it’s a good use of my time and I can add a lot of value.

3. Introductions. I'm happy to introduce you to anyone in my network who would be helpful, with their permission. And I'm happy to be introduced to people too, with the same double opt-in rule. I will usually ask you for a summary I can forward on to the person to get their consent, first.

4. Build trust. If we're going to be partners in a deal, let's look at deals together and help each other out first, with no commitment, so we can get to know each other and our relative strengths.

5. Partner on deals. I will only ask for or grant equity when there's a clear value exchange and the amount is commensurate with the value added. If we’re not sure what value one of us might add, the solution is to work together first (see point 4).

Let's help each other succeed! I'm happy to trade notes, contacts, deal flow, and any other resources that can help us all. When there's a clear role to be played, we can figure out equity as well.

Let's do this!

Charles Jolley
charles@tinman.llc
LinkedIn