What do you do when you raise venture money… and then realize it’s not the right path? For Elle Hempen, co-founder of The Atlas, the answer was bold: sell just one year later.
 
In this episode, we talk about how a Google spreadsheet turned into a tech company, why she decided to skip the long VC grind, and how she negotiated an exit during the chaos of COVID. From pitching at Y Combinator while 8 months pregnant to getting a cold email from the exact company she dreamed of selling to, Elle’s story is packed with twists, hard choices, and the kind of honesty you rarely hear in startup land.


00:00 – Intro
02:48 – How a Google Spreadsheet Turned Into a Startup Platform
06:59 – “We Don’t Want to Sell to Cities” (and the Business Model Dilemma)
13:39 – Pregnant at Y Combinator & Pitching Through COVID Chaos
19:16 – The Cold Email That Changed Everything: Enter GovExec
20:18 – Investors Push Back: “You’re Selling Too Early”
21:56 – How Do You Value a Startup With No EBITDA?
25:11 – One of Only 4 Female-Founded Companies to Sell That Year
26:55 – From Founder to Operator: What Life After Acquisition Really Feels Like
29:58 – Walking Away After 5 Years: Why Elle Said ‘I’m Not in the Strategy Anymore’

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