When it came time to sell, one company received multiple bids within weeks. The other struggled to generate interest.

The difference wasn’t the product. It wasn’t even the financial profile. It was purely relationships.

In M&A, relationships often matter more than tech. Founders who build visibility, credibility and direct access to buyers from day one end up with faster processes.

Known CEOs generate stronger processes

When a CEO is already on the radar of potential buyers, either from speaking engagements, thought leadership or previous partnerships, there is less friction at every stage. Buyers feel like they already know the person behind the company. The initial outreach is warmer, conversations move faster, and internal buy-in is easier to secure.

What I see is that well-networked CEOs tend to attract interest earlier in a process. Buyers familiar with a founder’s reputation and strategic vision are more likely to prioritize the opportunity and engage with fewer reservations.

In contrast, companies led by technically strong but lesser-known founders often require a much longer ramp-up. More diligence, more explanation and more effort to convince buyers why this company and this team are worth betting on.

Buyer confidence is built over years, not weeks

Acquirers look at more than just the product and financials. They evaluate leadership, culture fit and long-term integration potential. When a CEO is already viewed as a credible, insightful voice in their domain, that evaluation process becomes easier.

Reputation and access also matter earlier in the funnel. When a CEO has built trust with VCs, industry executives or corp dev leaders over time, they gain strategic optionality. They can engage in early conversations that later mature into real offers.

Start focusing on networking and visibility

Not every founder is naturally inclined to public speaking or personal brand building. Many are product-driven and prefer to stay focused on building. That’s a legitimate strength, but it comes with tradeoffs.

Networking, visibility and building industry presence are not secondary tasks. For CEOs leading companies that plan to grow, fundraise or explore strategic exits, these are core responsibilities. Founders who invest time in building relationships with investors, potential customers, partners and buyers create long-term strategic value.

That visibility does not have to mean being constantly on stage or posting daily. But there needs to be a deliberate effort to build credibility and access across the ecosystem.

If the founder is not in a position to do that, and has no will to invest in visibility, bringing in a well-known operator is one option.

In the end, company value is shaped not just by tech, but by who is telling the story and who is listening.

is a strategic adviser to tech companies and investors, specializing in strategy, growth and M&A, a guest contributor to Crunchbase News, and a seasoned lecturer. Learn more about his advisory services, lectures and courses at . for further insights and discussions.

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“When we launched, Hillary Clinton hadn’t even run for president yet,” said CEO and co-founder for the company, on a phone call. “So the conversation was a little different.”

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Now, following Clinton’s run, the #MeToo movement, and thousands of companies promising to be better with diversity hiring, Huang said there’s been a “slow crawl” of change in conversations surrounding women in the workforce.

But the company’s announcement today might just speed things up.

Fairygodboss announced this morning it has raised a $10 million Series A co-led by San Francisco’s , which gave the startup its , and Salt Lake City’s Signal Peak Ventures, . Signal Peak Ventures, which is a male-led VC firm, it works to invest in “underserved markets” across the country.

, co-founders Huang and said the new cash will let the New York City company better serve an increasing user base and help companies “attract, recruit, and retain the best female talent.”

“We’ve seen our user base grow 30 times over the past 2 years,” the founders said . “We’ve reached more than 24 million women and we are partnering with more than 100 corporate employers.” Customers include Apple, Accenture and General Motors.

Huang told Crunchbase News that the company began after she was suddenly fired from her job as senior executive at . During her job hunt, she was two months pregnant—too early for anyone to know, but not too early for her to stop wondering about maternity leave options.

Yet she was uncomfortable asking about maternity leave and whether there were successful senior-level women at the company.

So “like any good millennial” she tried to look up advice on how to deal with the situation. There wasn’t any, and so Fairygodboss was born. On the website, uncomfortable topics—like salary negotiations or do you need to wear make-up to work—are meant to be discussed amid a community of professional peers. To encourage people to be more open with their experiences, there is an option for users to be anonymous.

And as times have changed, roles have begun to reverse.

“We used to call companies and we had to explain why gender diversity was a good thing for businesses in business terms,” she said. But “we don’t open our calls with like that anymore, instead we ask what are you doing for gender diversity?”

And this time, she said, they expect an answer.

(Note: I’d love to write more about women and diversity within the tech industry, so if you want to chat you can reach me at natasha@crunchbase.com)

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