This document outlines the key dates and challenges faced by Dealissime as it grew from a startup to being acquired by LivingSocial in June 2011. The main challenges were communication during the acquisition process, maintaining day-to-day business operations, transitioning brands and platforms, adapting to a large company culture from a startup culture, and managing human resources. The lessons learned include keeping open communication, maintaining focus on revenue generation, anticipating transition needs, adapting processes from data-driven to instinct-driven, aligning on company values and culture, and carefully managing all recruitment and hiring.

1. THE ROAD TO AN
ACQUISITION
Lara ROUYRES – Tatiana
JAMA
FAILCON 2012

2. KEY DATES
 April 2010 : Dealissime.com launches
 June /July 2010 : Fundraising (600K€)
 September 2010 : Present in 4 markets
 December 2010 : Launch of Mydeal.ma
 February 2011 : 10 FTE
 June 2011 : Dealissime becomes Livingsocial
and launch of LivingSocial in France
• November 2011 : + 100 FTE
• January 2012: Present in 14 markets

3. CHALLENGE # 1 : Communication

4. LEARNING # 1 : Let the door open
Manage the communication to your team during an
acquisition or fundraising process
Learnings:
Meetings : take time to talk and
reassure
Split the management / task
More insights to the ops

5. CHALLENGE # 2 : The day to day
business

6. LEARNING # 2 : Stay focus on the
business
Fundraising or being acquired is time consuming,
however the most important is to never forget generating
revenu.
Learnings :
1) Keeping one founder
focus
on driving the business
2) Keeping cash to hardly
invest during the
negociation

7. CHALLENGE # 3 : Transition

8. LEARNING # 3 : Get prepared & adapt
Selling a company to another entity means that
you and your team have to be ready to:
1.Transit brands
Transition takes time.
2. Transit plateforms
Anticipate development: No in-house technology

9. CHALLENGE # 4 : Start-up vs Large
Company

10. LEARNING # 4 : Building teams that
scale
1. From instinct to data (process)
2. Company Culture / Values
3. Culture differences / politics

11. CHALLENGE # 5 : HR

12. LEARNING # 5 : Never Underestimate
HR
The Succes and Failures of your
company is always function of who
you hire
• From a multitask organization to a
monotask
• Valid every recruitment
• Find people with diverse experience

13. LEARNINGS
BEFORE CLOSING :
• 1. Communication with the team is crutial
• 2. Never forget to keep focused on the business
AFTER CLOSING :
• 3. Anticipate transition
• 4. From a small sized Start-up to a large company
ALWAYS:
The sucess and failures of your company is
function of who you hire = Never underestimate
HR