The Shoot the Moon podcast is for IT business owners and executives. The Revenue Rocket leadership team brings their 25+ years of experience with M&A and growth strategies to IT Services company leaders worldwide.
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IT services M&A is in one of its most active stretches in years. We explain how private equity defines the market, the platform and tuck-in roll-up strategy behind most deals, and how AI is separating premium platforms from commoditized providers. You will also hear which segments are hot, which are cooling, and the exact questions to ask when an investor calls. Timestamps & Chapters 0:00 – Why private equity keeps calling 1:13 – How we define the IT services market 4:11 – The long tail: ~50,000 firms and three channels 7:03 – Why PE targets IT services: growth and recurring revenue 12:31 – Pr
Revenue Rocket’s Mike Harvath, Ryan Barnett, and Matt Lockhart break down the real reasons founders delay an exit, and why the safest-feeling choice is often the most expensive. This episode of Shoot the Moon covers the “one more year” trap, founder dependency, succession planning, derisking customer concentration and contracts, and why knowing your valuation is the first move in IT services M&A. If you run an MSP, MSSP, cloud, dev, or VAR business, this is the timing conversation to have before the market decides for you. CHAPTERS 0:00 Cold open and welcome 1:56 Why founders delay a sale (the
Got an Unsolicited Offer to Buy Your IT Services Company? Do This First | Shoot the Moon Inbound interest is at an all-time high for IT services founders. In this episode, Mike Harvath and Ryan Barnett unpack what happens when a founder gets an unsolicited offer: why the first offer is rarely the best offer, what a no-shop clause actually locks up, and how “deal facilitation” differs from running a full sell-side process. You’ll also learn the mistakes founders make trying to roll their own deal, when to bring an advisor in, and why an advisor adds leverage without taking control. Your phone i
In IT services M&A, depending on a single platform or channel partner is a valuation risk, not a strength. This episode breaks down what happens to your firm’s value when a vendor changes its pricing, partner tiers, or lead flow, and what the most acquirable IT services firms do instead. Platform partnerships built much of the IT services industry, but the balance of power has been shifting for two decades. In this episode of Shoot the Moon, Mike Harvath, Ryan Barnett, and Matt Lockhart unpack channel and vendor-partner dependency: why buyers treat it like customer concentration, how verticali
EPISODE 249. If you decide to go through a sell-side process, what are the big things you can really screw up? In the final part of our Master Class series, we are talking what not to do during an M&A sale process. In the final installment of the Sell Side Master Class, the team breaks down the biggest mistakes founders make when preparing to sell their IT services business. From waiting too long to prepare and mismanaging diligence, to misunderstanding deal structure and scaring off buyers, this episode covers the pitfalls that can reduce value or kill a deal altogether. OTHER EPISODES IN THI
Closing the deal is not the finish line. It is the beginning of the next chapter. In this episode of the Seller Master Class Series, Mike, Matt, and Ryan walk through what sellers should expect after a transaction closes. They cover how to protect customer confidence, reassure employees, establish communication cadence, and prioritize the right operational changes without disrupting service delivery or cash flow. They also discuss the founder’s transition after closing, common post-merger integration missteps, and what success looks like in the first 100 days. What you’ll learn in this episode
EPISODE 246. Key takeaways The LOI is not the final deal. It is more like a handshake on price and core terms, while definitive agreements create the legally binding structure of the transaction. The focus shifts from headline economics to risk allocation, including representations, warranties, indemnification, escrows, working capital, and earnouts. Sellers should expect multiple transaction documents, including the purchase agreement, employment or transition agreements, non-compete and non-solicit provisions, disclosure schedules, and sometimes escrow or lender-related documents. An M&A adv
EPISODE 245. Key Takeaways from this episode: What due diligence is: The buyer’s inspection/audit of the seller’s business to confirm the story, financials, contracts, and assumptions made pre-LOI. The emotional shift for sellers: Post-LOI can feel like “we’re done,” but diligence is often the most challenging phase and can be exhausting and distracting. Why buyers do it: Risk mitigation and validation, plus identifying upside (synergies, growth investment opportunities, consolidation savings). Common seller mistake: Underestimating diligence and showing up unprepared, both emotionally and ope
EPISODE 243. The Sell Side Masterclass for Tech Services Founders: Finding the Right Buyer Finding buyers = defining the buyer universe (fit + ability to close). Strategic buyers buy for synergies (capabilities, customers, geography, talent, growth). Financial buyers buy for return + a future exit plan (often with rollover equity and a “second bite”). The “best” buyer isn’t just highest price, it’s alignment + certainty to close. Certainty signals: deal track record, internal M&A function, knows services underwriting, disciplined pace. Run a structured outreach process (teaser → NDA → CIM/fina
