Dubai, UAE – September 2025 – Every entrepreneur talks about starting up. Few talk about stepping away. Yet for most founders, the day eventually comes when they must decide whether to sell, scale, or exit their business entirely.
For Martin Martinez, that day came not once, but three times.
As an entrepreneur who has built and exited three companies and gone on to acquire several more, Martin knows first-hand the mix of pride, fear, and uncertainty that comes with selling a business. It’s why he calls it “The Founder’s Exit Dilemma.”
“Starting a business is exciting. Scaling it is tough. But exiting—exiting is personal,” Martin reflects. “It’s not just about money. It’s about identity, legacy, and what comes next. That’s why so many founders feel lost when the time comes.”
More Than Numbers
Martin contrasts his journey with that of investors, private equity firms, and family offices. For them, exits are spreadsheets, ROI, and deal terms. For a founder, they are years of late nights, sacrifices, and dreams lived through a business.
“Investors rarely understand the founder’s side because they’ve never lived it,” Martin says. “They see multiples. I see the team I had to let go, the customers I built relationships with, and the years it took to get there. That’s why I decided to start talking about this openly—because most founders don’t have anyone guiding them through the emotional side of an exit.”
Helping Founders Navigate Their Defining Moment
Over the past decade, Martin has shifted his focus toward helping entrepreneurs understand why, how, and when to exit. His framework is built around three strategies:
- Planning Early – Exits are strongest when prepared years in advance.
- Thinking Like a Buyer – Knowing what acquirers want ensures better positioning.
- Balancing Emotion with Strategy – Recognizing that letting go is both financial and emotional.
“What makes my perspective unique is that I’m not an advisor. I’m an exited founder turned investor,” he says. “I’ve lived through the uncertainty, the fear, and the relief. My mission now is to make sure other entrepreneurs don’t walk into exits blindly.”
Why This Matters Now
The Middle East is experiencing an entrepreneurial boom, with Dubai emerging as a global startup hub. But Martin believes that with rapid growth comes an inevitable wave of exits.
“Soon, thousands of founders in this region will face the same questions I did,” he warns. “When is the right time to sell? Who should I sell to? What happens after? If they don’t prepare, they risk losing not just financial value, but personal peace of mind.”
For Martin, The Founder’s Exit Dilemma is more than a concept—it’s a conversation that needs to happen before founders face the hardest decision of their lives.
“Every founder deserves to walk away from their business feeling proud, not regretful,” he says. “That’s why I’m here.”
Written in partnership with Tom White
