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I raise a hand, halting him. “Wait a minute. I’ve been researching. Reading up on it. I will be there for her, every step of the way.”
His eyebrows furrow. “It’s beyond knowing what to do when she has a seizure. It’s understanding that even if things are controlled now it can change. If she’s tired. Agitated. Stressed. Her hormones are out of whack. Have you talked about having kids?”
“Whoa, whoa.” I shake both hands at him. “We’ve been together for less than a month. Only on a surficial level.”
He lifts his shoulders. “Don’t put those conversations off. I’m just sayin’.”
“Miles, I can assure you, whatever challenges lie ahead, we’ll face them together. I won’t let her go through any of it alone.” I place my hand over my heart.
He watches me for a long moment. “Okay. Because if you ever let her down, it won’t only be her heart that breaks.”
A heavy silence settles between us. But there’s another topic to address. “We need to talk about Hungry Llama and where we see ourselves in the next few years. Do we sell or keep going?”
“You’re still thinking we should sell?” Miles leans back in his chair, his fingers drum on the desk. “That’s your part of the business, I pump out the games.”
“Fire up your Slack.” I watch as he pulls it up on his desktop. “Open up that spreadsheet.” He clicks and opens the document I worked on for the past couple months. Columns of numbers, prospective buyers, and market data come into view. The possibility of selling Hungry Llama suddenly feels real.
“Okay,” Miles begins, tapping a cell on the spreadsheet that lists out potential buyers, “We’ve got a few options to consider. Private equity firms, strategic buyers, and maybe even a few industry giants might be interested.”
I frown, considering. “Strategic buyers? You mean our competitors?”
“Precisely. Sometimes it’s easier for a competitor to buy us out than to try to outpace us in the market.” Miles nods.
“Well, well, well. Listen to you! There are pros and cons to all of these options.” I love that Miles has done some homework. “Our team has been with us through thick and thin. I want to be confident they’re taken care of. Especially after the retreat.”
Miles gives me a knowing look. “Agreed. A competitor might have redundancy but a private equity firm could restructure and lay off staff. If we’re not in any rush, let’s take the time to find the appropriate industry buyer so our team might get a better deal. More resources, better benefits.”
I nod cautiously. “Alright, so how do we approach this? A bidding war?”
Miles grins, the glint of challenge lights up his eyes. “I think so. We’ll need to generate buzz. Make Hungry Llama seem like the hottest ticket in town. A business everyone wants to own.”
Leaning forward, I consider this. “I’m not so sure. We’re a unicorn of gaming companies. Whoever acquires us is going to want us to be part of a portfolio—and keep the management team intact. Or, they’re a bigger media company that wants a gaming arm.”
Miles chuckles. “So more like a down-low outreach then.”
“Yeah, I think we’ll garner a bigger payout if we keep it quiet. Publicity could eliminate a key leveraged position of being stealth. If the perception is we don’t want—and don’t need—to sell, we become coveted.” I tap out of the spreadsheet and into our financial management program. “We can’t forget the due diligence. Our books are in pristine order but any buyer will go through our financial records and key strategic contracts with a fine tooth comb.”
Miles leans back and puts his hands behind his head. “I’m assuming you’re doing this already?”
“Yup. I have a system in place.” I nod.
“You’re thinking big.” Miles smirks. “I like it.”
“Go big or go home, right?” We fist pump across the table then I click to another spreadsheet I’m working on. “Early next year, I’d like to meet with a few investment banking firms that specialize in our sector. They can help us work on a valuation, set a price and make introductions. I’m leaning toward Morrison & Co. because they brokered the deal for TechGrid last year, but I figure we should stay open.”
Miles taps his finger to his lips. “What about Jacoby International? Joar Jacoby seems to be gobbling up media properties. I hear he’s a decent guy.”
“Yeah, we should meet with him.” I close out all of the windows. “At the end of the day, I love running Hungry Llama so if nothing seems suitable, we stay the course.”
Miles gets up and walks over to a cabinet where he keeps a couple bottles of whiskey. “I think this calls for a celebration.” He takes out a limited-edition bottle of Midleton. “When we started this company, did you ever think we’d be worth over a billion dollars?”
“Not in a billion years.” I throw Miles a cheesy grin.
There’s a long pause as Miles pours us our drinks. I know him. He’s wrestling with emotions and practicalities. This is a big deal. Ultimately, he nods and hands me a glass. We clink them together and take a sip. “Alright. We need to explore it. We’ll meet with a few of these firms. Get a feel for who might be the best fit.”
I grasp his shoulder and pull him in for a bro hug. “If I don’t say it enough, building this with you has been the greatest thing I’ve ever done. It wouldn’t mean anything without you.”
“Same, dude. Same.” Miles pounds my back with his fist. “It’s not a business decision, is it? It’s about Shay. Wanting to create a future with her.”
