The truth is most startups get acquired based on relationships they have built with trusted partners that evolve over time into something more substantial.

It's the equivalent of going from a first date to living together to full-blown marriage.

The trick is to understand how to develop that process over time versus waiting for an acquiring company to show up with a big check!

Should I be waiting for a company to call me?

Definitely not!

While it sounds amazing to have your dream buyer call you and talk turkey, we'll likely be sitting around for a long, long time waiting for the phone to ring.

Instead, the right move is to build relationships with all of the potential acquiring companies you can think of — whether as customers, partners...