Should my company go public now?

There's never a good time to go public but it makes sense to start the process when the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Should entrepreneurs follow the conventional "wisdom"? Based on our 25+ years of experience, the conventional "wisdom" to wait 7-10 years before going public doesn't make any sense whatsoever for growth-minded entrepreneurs.

A public listing is a fantastic tool for entrepreneurs to build their business. Think of a public listing as a tool. We wouldn't know what to do with a truckload of tools from the local hardware store. However, give the same tools to the right person and you'll have a five-bedroom house in no time. Are the tools worthless or priceless? It depends entirely on who has the tools, whether they understand how to use them productively and if they have the drive to use them to extract value. It's the same with a public listing. For the right entrepreneur, it can be priceless. For others, totally worthless and an unnecessary cost and distraction.

Entrepreneurs with a growth-mindset can use a public listing as a tool to complete acquisitions, recruit talent, incentivize third parties, raise capital, reduce business risk and create significant shareholder value.

Generally, each of these benefits can be achieved faster, easier and at lower cost when engaging in business activities through a public entity. Growth minded entrepreneurs come to appreciate that the advantages of going public immediately, while completely unconventional, provides extraordinary advantages.

Can an entrepreneur build a more valuable business while remaining private? We don't think so. The right entrepreneur can leverage a public listing, stock and options in ways that are not as useful in the private company scenario.

A public company run by a smart and growth-minded entrepreneur wins every time. Why wait?