When you decide to sell your software company, you’re not just hiring an M&A advisor. You’re choosing your Chief M&A Officer—the person who will sit beside you during the most important transaction of your life.

Yet, too often, founders are encouraged to focus on the wrong things.

Yes, the financial model looks great. Yes, the deck is polished. But here’s the truth: buyers will rebuild your model. They’ll challenge your assumptions. And they may not even finish reading the deck. That’s why the real value in an M&A partner isn’t found in spreadsheets—it’s in strategy, storytelling, and execution when the stakes are highest.

So, ask the hard questions:

• Who’s actually running my deal?
• Will they be beside me when it gets tough?
• Do they know how to create real buyer tension—not just chase offers?
• Will they treat me like a teammate, not a transaction?
• Can I trust them with the critical moments?
• And most of all… would I hire them as an executive in my own company?

Because that’s the bar: you’re not looking for a service provider. You’re hiring someone who will embed themselves in your team, understand your product and market deeply, and help you navigate the emotional, strategic, and financial complexity of selling a company.

At Hemisphere Partners, that’s our approach. We’re not “bankers.” We’re former operators who’ve built and sold software companies ourselves. And we run M&A the way founders want it done—strategically, personally, and with a relentless focus on maximizing real, tangible value.