Exitwise Productions

Andrew Kirpalani co-founded WorkHound in 2015 after being pitched the idea over a beer in exchange for putting his name on an accelerator application. What he agreed to that night became a platform serving 75,000 frontline workers, and a successful acquisition by WorkStep a decade later.

In this episode, Andrew shares the full story with Exitwise's Todd Sullivan and Stephanie Horwitz Reuveni: how a 95% annual driver turnover rate in trucking sparked the idea, how anonymous SMS-based feedback gave a voice to workers who'd never sit at a desk, and what happens to a "painkiller" product when the market turns it into a vitamin.

Andrew also breaks down how he built a targeted buyer list of 30 to 40 strategic acquirers from a 400-company spreadsheet, why strategics valued WorkHound so differently than PE firms, and what it really feels like to hand over your product and team piece by piece as a technical founder, giving away your toys, one at a time.

If you're building toward an exit or navigating a market shift, this one's full of honest perspective on timing, buyer strategy, and the psychology no one warns you about.

Want Andrew in your corner when you sell? Connect with him on the Exitwise Exited Founder Marketplace: https://exitwise.com/founders/andrew-kirpalani

Thinking about selling your business? Visit https://exitwise.com