When I founded Pushfar, I never thought too far about how ‘the end’ could be. Like most entrepreneurs, I focused on construction, growth, fire fighting and construction again. I knew that one day a way out would be incredible, if we could achieve it, but I didn’t think too much about that. That was, until we were in the midst of the acquisition, and then I couldn’t think of anything else. In this article, I will share some key consultations for entrepreneurs, after the impact and experiences I have.
In 2023, after a whirlwind, Pushfar was acquired by a brilliant private capital firm in London. It was a moment that should have felt how to cross the finish line of a marathon. And, in a way, he did. But, again, he did not. I kept the business for 18 months after the acquisition, as part of a transition phase, something quite normal for the output founders. But at the end of January 2025, my time with Pushfar officially ended. This, in itself, can feel difficult to navigate. A ‘exit’ is rarely instantaneous. You can advance for months or, more often, years.
The post-exit ‘What now?’ moment
There is a romantic idea that, once you sell your company, it will spend a few years in a cocktail beque, traveling around the world or simply enjoying ‘free time’. I admit it, I flirted with the idea. I even said that once I came out that I would take a year off, rest and relax, before discovering what I wanted to do next. However, I realized through the process, that I am not very good to sit, without doing anything.
Here is the truth that I feel that I learned in the difficult way: when you have spent years pouring every ounce of your energy, passion and creativity to build something from scratch, doing nothing is not relaxing, it is almost the opposite!
Concern? Find out what follows
In those first days after the impact, I felt without ties. Not because he was unhappy, but because something was missing. There was a quiet restless. And suddenly, that structure, and that meaning was gone. Quickly, I realized that I would have two options after leaving Pushfar. The first would be to take a free time, the second would be to build again. The answer was clear to me: build again.
The knowledge that once my time in Pushfar came to an end, it would also be the beginning of a new adventure and adventure for me, a great comfort, quiet and an immediate sense of purpose. Therefore, my first recommendation to anyone who plans an exit or passes through one, would be to make sure you have consulted how the next chapter is seen.
Why the first days are the best days
One of the most important things that I realized in those quiet moments after the impact was that the part of the trip that most loved and missed the initial stage of construction. The disagreement, undoubtedly lightly chaotic, highly creative, where ideas are full of possibilities. That’s where I prosper. It is where I am happier. And, as a result, it is probably where I do my best job.
When I started Pushfar, I was driven by the desire to solve a real problem: to help people connect through tutoring. With Uroutine, it is a similar itching. I am fascinated how routines shape success and responsibility ensure that we deliver. Only this time, I have a real experience, to do it with more confidence and clarity.
Stay busy or be satisfied
A couple of fellow founders have asked me why I didn’t take more free time. Sometimes, even now, I ask Myelf, why I didn’t. And yet, what I have come to understand is that this is a difference between being busy and fulfilled. I did not start something new because I was afraid of stillness: I started something new because I found an idea that really moved me. I think, as entrepreneurs, we are connected differently. We need problems to solve. We need a purpose. That does not mean that we do not need to rest, we do it. But there is a difference between rest and inertia. Rest is shelter. Inertia is stagnant.
If you just got out, or you are approaching that milestone, my advice would be yes, you take for a while. Reflect. Celebrate. But also listen carefully to what energy you. It may not be another new company. It can be tutoring, investment, writing or will. I even made the idea of following another career! But whatever, make sure it is something that fills your tank, not just your calendar.
Learning from the first trip
Build Urooutine, for me, is not just about doing it again, it’s about doing something new and doing better. From the beginning, I have a very aware leg of the lessons that I learned from pushfar: the importance of contracting slowly and intentionally, the value of mental well -being, the slow burning of cash, the need for clear limits, aligned equipment.
I have also achieved that successes cannot be done not, it is not that I cannot do not that I cannot like traditional metrics: income, personal, exits or, in privilege, fundraising. For me, success with Urooutine Meeans builds a product that really helps people, which people love to use and, for cliché to seem, enjoying the trip on the road.
Emotional underground current
This is clearly different for each founder, but many people talk about selling a business as an emotional moment. I think that depends completely on how I have seen the business first. I always saw pushfar as a business, instead of an identity. Although a business forever, it was a business nevertheless. Then, I did not experience any sadness or emotional attraction at the exit. Clearly, many founders find it emotional, and that is understandable. I asked Myelf, very consciously, how I thought I would feel separating from him, before going through the acquisition. I encourage any founder to seek to do the same. There is no going back if you change your mind.
Forward is the only way
So, here I am, back in the square one, order or. Different product, different market, but the same buzz. The same emotion to see that something comes to life of nothing. And I couldn’t be happier.
If you face your own moment after the impact, know this: it is well feeling lost. It’s okay to change your mind. Ok not because “free time.” The Russian mountain after the EXIT is real, and there are no two equal attractions. But if you listen to what lights lights you and follow that thread, you will find your next chapter, and it could be the best yet.
Ed Johnson is the founder of Urooutine.
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