Free Daily Podcast Summary
2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Josh Comrie
Welcome to 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit showI've spent over two decades helping founders scale their businesses and achieve successful, multimillion-dollar exits. I've also achieved this myself on multiple occasions. With my experience as an entrepreneur, advisor, and investor, I’ve had the privilege of guiding companies through the highs and lows of business growth and exit strategies.Each episode will bring you the previously untold stories of entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled and exited their businesses for seven-figure (2 comma's) plus returns. You’ll hear more about the journeys, challenges, and pivotal moments that led to these transformative exits. My goal is to inform and inspire founders who are looking to scale their ventures to seven, eight or nine figures and beyond.Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrieDownload my e-book, "The Exit Factor" and sign up to receive the Business Growth Journal weekly: https://www.joshcomrie.com/the-exit-factor
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Today1h 38m
Why I closed a business that fed 2,500 kids a day | Lisa King with Josh Comrie
Lisa King had a goal from the very first day of Eat My Lunch: the business would be a success the day it became unnecessary.She built it in 2015 to solve a problem she couldn't stop thinking about, kids going hungry at school in a country of abundance. By week 12 she was making 2,000 lunches a day out of her own kitchen. At peak, nearly 5,000, with police officers, politicians, and grannies in their sixties all buttering bread before sunrise. Then the government launched its own school lunch program, and Lisa did something most founders never do. She closed the business on purpose.Before that happened, a media story accused her of personally profiting off hungry kids, at a time when she was being paid less than she'd ever earned. She had to show a reporter her payslip to prove it. We talk through what that period actually felt like, what New Zealand's tall poppy syndrome did to her willingness to talk to press afterward, and the identity crisis of letting go of a business that had defined her for five years.We get into:How Eat My Lunch scaled from 50 to nearly 5,000 lunches a dayThe media smear and what it actually cost her personallyWhy she built the business to make itself redundant from day oneWhat closing your first business does to your sense of who you areIf you're building something with real purpose behind it, or wondering what it takes to walk away from your own success on your own terms, this one's worth your time.
- 1 weeks ago1h 25m
Would you sell 80% of your business to 5X its value? | Murray Schnuriger and Toby King with Josh Comrie
Most founders won't give up 80% of their business. The ones who did walked away with more than if they'd kept 100%.Murray Schnuriger made the jump from 20 years advising founders on exits to actually owning the risk at 5V Capital, a mid-market PE fund across Australia and New Zealand. Toby King has spent his career at Cameron Partners, one of NZ's most established M&A firms, allied with Rothschild and Company. Together they've sat on both sides of more NZ business exits than almost anyone alive.The Education Perfect story is the one that sticks. Two brothers built an edtech platform into 50% of NZ secondary schools, hit their ceiling, and sold 80% to 5V. One went backpacking for a year. 5V brought in a new CEO, put sales teams on the ground in Australia, and tripled the business in three years. Exit to KKR. The 20% the brothers held at the end was worth more than their original 100%. That's the structure most NZ founders never think to ask about.Murray and Toby pull no punches on what founders consistently get wrong, pricing on EBITDA when buyers price on free cash flow, waiting one more year for growth when the multiple compression wipes out the gain, and showing up to a sale process without a narrative that holds up under serious due diligence.We get into:Why selling 80% can leave you wealthier than holding everythingThe EBITDA trap that costs NZ founders millions at the tableWhy "one more year of growth" is often the most expensive decision you'll makeHow PE investors actually think about your exit before they've even finished investing in youWhat your business narrative needs to nail to earn a premium valuationThe succession wave hitting NZ baby boomer founders and why PE is filling the gapIf you're building something and wondering what it actually looks like to sell part of your business, back yourself for one more run, and walk away with more than you started with, this one's worth your time.
- 2 weeks ago1h 25m
I gave away half of my business on a handshake. Here's why. | Mark Zeman | 2 Commas
What if the most successful version of your company is the smallest one?This week I sit down with Mark Zeman, co-founder of SpeedCurve, who quietly built one of the most unusual software businesses I've come across. No VC. No sales team. No marketing function. A team that never grew beyond seven people, paid two to three times market salary, and shared the monthly profit with everyone.SpeedCurve had customers like Airbnb, the New York Times and the Guardian. They found him, not the other way around. And after 13 years, he exited to Embrace, not at the peak.We get into:- Why Mark turned down customers, capital and "grow at all costs"- How a UX designer in New Zealand ended up shaping global web performance standards- The handshake co-founder deal with Steve Souders and why it worked- Monthly profit share instead of equity and a someday-maybe exit- The moment the market shifted and SpeedCurve became the wrong shape- Selling a declining SaaS business and why Embrace still wanted it- What working inside a VC-backed company has confirmed and challengedIf you've ever wondered whether there's another way to build a SaaS business and exit on your own terms, there is. Mark just lived it.
- 3 weeks ago46 min
67% of founding teams fail. Hete's why | Logan Yonavjak | 2 Commas
What if the biggest risk in your company isn't your product, it's whether your people are actually ready to lead?This week, I sit down with Logan Yonavjak, founder of the Readiness Engine, to explore how AI can now measure leadership capacity at scale. We get into coachability, the grit myth, the early warning signs a founding team is in trouble, and my own method for testing resilience and values in the room.Essential listening for founders, investors and operators.
- 4 weeks ago1h 6m
John Bessey: His doctor said he was fine. The blood work said otherwise.
Most of us have no idea what's actually going on inside our body.John Bessey has been in the room for three major tech exits as CEO of Merkle (Davanti), head of revenue at Introgen, and on the executive team when Gen-I sold to Spark. He's also a certified metabolic and health coach who reckons most high-performers are flying blind on the things that actually matter and he's got the blood work to prove it.In this episode, John and I get into the overlap between building a high-performing business and building a body that doesn't quit before the game's over. He shares what actually worked when he stepped in as an external CEO and why most of those appointments fail, how Divanti's earn-out structure gave the founders real control through the sale, and the simple rituals he uses with executives to cut distraction and find the two or three things that will genuinely move the needle. On the health side, the four horsemen, why your GP's "you're fine" might be the most expensive thing you hear this year, and what John changed the day he stopped chasing biohacks and went back to basics.John's 55, thirteen kilos lighter than he was a decade ago, and building deliberately toward skiing Cardrona at 93. His book, Rituals of Impact, is available at ritualsofimpact.com (free shipping in NZ) and on Amazon worldwide.
- May 13, 20261h 9m
Ken Crosson: From milking 1 cow to designing one of the word's best 400 houses
Ken Crosson nearly became a dairy farmer milking one cow in mid-Canterbury, instead, he walked into the Christchurch Town Hall at 16 and never looked back.In this episode of 2 Commas, I sit down with Ken, founder of Crosson and Co, one of New Zealand's most quietly celebrated architects, as the firm approaches its 40th year. We cover the pivot from farm kid to globally recognised designer, what it actually looks like to build a 40-year practice from scratch with no business training and one very young first hire, and why Ken still shows up to the office on weekends with a paper diary and a pencil. We get into the realities of partnership - how they form, how they end, and how the right recruiter talked Ken into a completely different hire than the one he thought he needed.We also unpack Plan Change 120, why building in New Zealand has gone from four drawings to 959 pages, and what AI is starting to do - and not yet do - to the profession. If you've ever wondered what four decades of designing spaces that move people actually teaches you about business, relationships, and the built world around us.
- May 6, 20261h 21m
Dr. Catherine Stone: I created NZ's botox market then nearly lost it all
She was asking people if they wanted Botox before most New Zealanders knew what it was, and they were asking her if their face was going to fall off.Dr. Catherine Stone pioneered cosmetic medicine in New Zealand in 2001, set up her first clinic in Vulcan Lane for $13,500, and built one of the country's most recognised aesthetic brands from scratch. In this episode of 2 Commas, I sit down with Dr. Cat to unpack what it looks like to front-run a trend before anyone believes in it, build a high-end boutique in a space that didn't exist, and scale it through TV deals, London clinics, and a few very well-timed pivots.We also get into the stuff nobody talks about - buying 23 properties in 24 months right before the GFC, the burnout that nearly ended everything, and three separate cancer diagnoses that ultimately forced the question: what actually matters? The answer led to an eight-week exit to someone she trusted, not the biggest multiple on the table. If you're building something and wondering what it looks like to lose nearly everything, rebuild it bigger, and walk away on your own terms. This one's worth your time.
- Apr 29, 20261h 8m
Rafael Niesten: I sold my company and bought three USB-C cables
Rafael Niesten built a nine-figure exit, woke up at 5:30am to watch the money land, and celebrated by going to Indian for $62 and buying three USB-C cables.In this episode of 2 Commas, I sit down with Raf, founder of PropTech Labs, to unpack what it actually looks like to build, acquire, and sell a portfolio of PropTech businesses without an investment banker in sight. We cover three strategic acquisitions in 18 months, five months of due diligence with a giant US corporate, and why timing the market ended up mattering just as much as building the product.We also get into the exit psychology - the void that opens up after a frenetic decade, the "one-eyed dog in a meat factory" focus lesson that changed everything, and what Raf's doing with the freedom on the other side. If you're building something and wondering what the finish line actually looks like and what comes after it, this one's worth your time.
About 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie
Welcome to 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit showI've spent over two decades helping founders scale their businesses and achieve successful, multimillion-dollar exits. I've also achieved this myself on multiple occasions. With my experience as an entrepreneur, advisor, and investor, I’ve had the privilege of guiding companies through the highs and lows of business growth and exit strategies.Each episode will bring you the previously untold stories of entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled and exited their businesses for seven-figure (2 comma's) plus returns. You’ll hear more about the journeys, challenges, and pivotal moments that led to these transformative exits. My goal is to inform and inspire founders who are looking to scale their ventures to seven, eight or nine figures and beyond.Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrieDownload my e-book, "The Exit Factor" and sign up to receive the Business Growth Journal weekly: https://www.joshcomrie.com/the-exit-factor
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Josh Comrie.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie release new episodes?
2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie cover?
2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie covers topics including Business, Entrepreneurship. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting 2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.