You Built a Business. Now Get Out Alive. A Founder’s Guide to Exits Under Fire.

You Built a Business. Now Get Out Alive. A Founder's Guide to Exits Under Fire.

Exiting a business in a volatile market isn't about maximizing profit. It's about survival. Whether you're facing political upheaval, currency controls, or personal risk, you need a plan that works when nothing else does. This briefing teaches you how to exit strategically when the walls are closing in and time isn't on your side.

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When Walking Away Is Winning: How to Exit Before Everything Collapses

Most exit strategies assume stable conditions: rational buyers, functioning legal systems, and time to negotiate. But when political instability hits, when currency controls trap your assets, when personal safety becomes a concern, or when regulatory shifts make operations untenable, those assumptions collapse. You can't wait for the perfect buyer. You can't optimize for maximum valuation. You need to extract what value remains, protect your reputation, and get out before your options disappear entirely. The goal isn't to win. It's to survive with enough resources and credibility to rebuild somewhere else.

Founders who wait too long lose everything. They believe conditions will stabilize, or that their business is too valuable to abandon, or that someone will still pay fair value despite the chaos around them. By the time they accept reality, buyers have vanished, assets are frozen, and the cost of staying exceeds any possible return. Exits under fire require different thinking. You're not selling at peak valuation. You're liquidating before liquidation becomes impossible. You're negotiating with limited leverage, under time pressure, often with counterparties who know you're desperate.

This briefing walks you through how to execute controlled exits when conditions are deteriorating. You'll learn how to assess your realistic options, structure deals that work in hostile environments, and protect yourself legally and financially when formal systems aren't reliable. Some exits are full sales. Others are strategic wind-downs. Some involve transferring operations to trusted partners. The key is knowing which path makes sense for your situation—and moving decisively before hesitation costs you the ability to choose at all.

What You'll Learn

How to assess whether exit is the right move versus waiting for conditions to improve
Valuation strategies when traditional methods don't apply in crisis conditions
How to find buyers in deteriorating markets when conventional channels have dried up
Structuring deals that work around currency controls, capital restrictions, and regulatory blocks
Protecting assets during exit when legal systems are unreliable or politically influenced
How to negotiate from weakness without getting exploited or trapped in worse terms
The documents and preparations that matter most when formal contracts may not be enforceable
How to wind down operations cleanly when selling isn't viable but staying isn't either
Repatriation strategies for getting value out when governments restrict capital movement
Managing stakeholder communication during forced exits without destroying future opportunities
Personal safety considerations when business exits overlap with security risks
How to preserve relationships and reputation so future market re-entry remains possible

Who Should Attend

Founders operating in politically unstable markets where conditions are deteriorating
Business owners facing currency controls, capital restrictions, or regulatory pressure
CEOs whose personal safety or team security is becoming a concern
Entrepreneurs trapped in markets where operational costs now exceed any possible return
Leadership teams managing forced exits due to sanctions, political shifts, or violence
Investors advising portfolio companies through emergency exits or wind-downs
Anyone who's already decided to leave but doesn't know how to execute without losing everything
Founders who need to understand exit optionality before crisis forces immediate decisions

About the Presenter

John Cobb has exited businesses under pressure in multiple jurisdictions. He's navigated currency controls in Latin America, managed operational wind-downs after cartel violence made locations untenable, and advised founders through forced exits when political conditions or personal safety made staying impossible.

He's negotiated with buyers who knew he was desperate, structured deals that worked around capital restrictions, and helped organizations extract value when traditional exit paths were blocked. He's also stayed too long in situations where earlier exit would have preserved more value. He's learned to recognize when the right move is leaving before you think you're ready.

This briefing is built from hard experience: what actually works when you're exiting under fire, and what mistakes cost you when time and leverage are scarce.

Reserve This Briefing for Your Organization

This briefing is available as a private session for organizations, investor networks, leadership teams, and accelerator cohorts operating in or withdrawing from high-risk markets. John tailors the content to your specific operational context, exit constraints, and regional challenges. Sessions can be delivered in-person or virtually, with confidential Q&A for situations your organization is currently navigating or anticipating.

Private briefings work well for companies evaluating forced exit scenarios, investor groups managing portfolio wind-downs in deteriorating markets, or leadership teams preparing contingency plans before conditions worsen. The session can be configured as a standalone workshop or integrated into broader risk management, crisis planning, or strategic transition programming.

If your organization needs frameworks for exiting volatile markets while preserving value and reputation, contact us to discuss format, scheduling, and pricing. Group rates available for organizations booking multiple briefings.

Available Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese

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Other Briefings You May Be Interested In

From Kidnappings to Coups: How to Keep Your Business Alive When Everything Goes to Hell - Sometimes crisis response means controlled exit. Learn how to protect your team during withdrawal.
Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Risks Before They Become Crises - Early warning systems give you time to exit strategically instead of reactively under fire.
90 Days to Sell: Fix These Problems or Lose Millions at the Closing Table - When exit is strategic rather than forced, preparation matters. Learn how to maximize value before deterioration.
When the Pressure Doesn't Stop: How to Lead Through Sustained Uncertainty - Exit decisions require clear judgment under pressure. Learn how to protect decision-making during sustained stress.

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Pholus Advisory guides founders, investors, and NGOs through crisis, governance challenges, and market complexity where traditional advisors hesitate to operate.