# Andrew Gazdecki (CEO @ MicroAcquire) on replacing traditional gatekeepers

By [Confluence.VC](https://paragraph.com/@claynorris) · 2021-10-15

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This week we had on [Andrew Gazdecki](https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/) ([@agazdecki](https://twitter.com/agazdecki)) at MicroAcquire.

[MicroAcquire](https://microacquire.com/) has become the marketplace for startup M&A, and since launching a year ago, it has already helped facilitate 500+ exits. Andrew has built up a brand as one of the most-liked people within tech, and we had a ton of fun picking his brain on a number of different topics.

In this talk, we discuss:

*   How the M&A process puts startups at a disadvantage
    
*   Media portraying the wrong image of entrepreneurship
    
*   Replacing traditional gatekeepers
    

[https://open.spotify.com/episode/2sGJur4xDswnZtmKpQ3p3p](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2sGJur4xDswnZtmKpQ3p3p)

> ### Takeaways:

*   Most founders have no idea how to get acquired, and options are limited. In an M&A event, the balance of power favors buyers since they have often been through the process before.
    
*   Build products that you would use yourself before you push it to any customer.
    
*   Investment banks will take months to close your M&A process and will also take a massive fee. This is the default option for most, but sellers should understand these risks before relying on banks to close transactions.
    
*   More interactions are shifting online, and marketplaces are competing for trust more than attention. MicroAcquire is capitalizing on this while also improving transparency on both sides of its marketplace.
    
*   There's a different phase of startup building that is less covered. Established media primarily focuses only on larger rounds and venture-backed businesses. This doesn't cover 99% of startups.
    
*   Louder voices do not mean more accurate voices. Choose your information sources wisely, or else you will be pitched a distorted view of reality.
    
*   The old gatekeepers prospered by keeping access to a select few. The new gatekeepers will prosper by allowing access to a wider audience.

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*Originally published on [Confluence.VC](https://paragraph.com/@claynorris/andrew-gazdecki-ceo-microacquire-on-replacing-traditional-gatekeepers)*