Your Exit Stage

Have you ever wondered exactly where you are on your entrepreneurial journey? Whether you’re just starting out and shouldering every task yourself, or you’ve built a team and are looking to gradually step back from daily operations, this quiz will help you identify your current stage.

Over the course of 20 questions, each response corresponds to one of five “exit stages.” By the end, you’ll discover what percentage of each stage you align with, giving you the clarity you need to move to the next phase. Armed with this insight, you can focus on strategic growth, building your leadership team, refining governance, or even preparing to sell or transfer your business.

Answer honestly—the goal is to provide a clear and candid view of where you stand today, so you can confidently pursue the actions that will lead you toward your entrepreneurial ambitions. Let’s get started!

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1. How is your daily involvement in the company’s operations? You set strategic direction, while a leadership team handles everyday tasks. You have no operational involvement at all. You handle the majority of the daily work personally. You participate only in high-level or occasional board discussions. You have employees, but you’re still heavily involved in daily operations.

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2. If you had to be absent for an entire month, what would happen? Your staff could keep things running, but likely would need some input from you. The leadership team would manage smoothly, contacting you only for major strategic calls. Most operations would stall without your direct involvement. You wouldn’t even notice; the business runs independently. The board and executive team would follow established strategies, no daily input from you needed.

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3. How are major decisions currently made? High-level decisions are made without your direct influence; you’re more of an observer/advisor. You make all significant decisions yourself. You’ve fully exited; others decide everything. You gather input from staff but still personally decide on key issues. A defined leadership team makes decisions, seeking your strategic guidance if needed.

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4. How would you describe the structure of your organization? There’s a leadership hierarchy that operates independently day-to-day. You’re not part of the structure anymore; it’s entirely independent of you. A board and management team exist, and your role is limited to high-level input. You have some staff, but the organization still depends greatly on your presence and direction. It’s basically just you and minimal external help.

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5. What is your primary contribution to the business right now? Performing most core tasks personally. Offering occasional strategic or governance-level advice, not running the show. Managing employees closely and handling critical operations personally. Guiding overall strategy while the team executes daily operations. None—your role is either that of a passive shareholder or completely exited.

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6. How do you envision improving the company’s growth? By hiring your first employees to offload daily tasks. By fully stepping back, letting the board and executives handle everything without you. By selling the business or maintaining it as a passive investment. By empowering the leadership team further, so they run daily matters without your direct oversight. By implementing better processes and delegating more tasks to staff.

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7. When a problem arises, how involved are you in the solution? Not at all; others solve it, and you may not even be informed. Your leadership team solves it and may consult you for strategic direction. You personally handle or oversee every significant problem. The team handles it; you might learn of it later or only provide high-level guidance. You rely on staff to assist but remain closely involved to ensure resolution.

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8. If tomorrow you decided to step away, how disruptive would it be? Extremely disruptive—the business can’t function without you. Mildly disruptive—your leadership might need a few clarifications, but they’d adapt. Somewhat disruptive—staff can operate, but many decisions still rely on you. Not disruptive at all—you’re already not involved. Hardly disruptive—the board and team have enough structure to continue.

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9. How do you feel about your decision-making role? You’re a strategic influencer, not the only decision-maker. You make virtually all the important decisions. You make most important decisions, but with staff input. You have no involvement in decisions; others run the business. You provide high-level advice, but decisions happen independently of you.

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10. What is your relationship to the company’s operational chart? You’re still at the top, and many functions report directly to you. You are essentially the whole operational chart. You’re not on the chart anymore at all. You’re above the operational chart, guiding those who run it. You exist outside of daily structure, more as an advisor or board member.

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11. How do you spend most of your work time regarding the business? You don’t spend time on it; you’re a passive owner or not involved. Overseeing staff, ensuring tasks are done, still quite hands-on. Thinking about long-term strategy, while others handle execution. Doing daily tasks, client work, and operations yourself. Participating only when strategic direction or board input is required.

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12. Consider your long-term goal for your role in the business: To stop doing everything myself and start delegating. To trust a capable leadership team to run things, while I focus on big-picture strategy. To completely exit ownership and involvement. To remain connected only through a board seat or advisory role, not daily management. To step back from constant oversight and let staff handle more, but still remain the CEO.

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13. What would best describe your involvement in hiring and firing? You make all hiring and firing decisions. Your leadership team makes most hiring/firing decisions; you might set high-level criteria. You’re not involved in HR decisions; that’s handled entirely by others. You make final calls on hiring/firing but have staff who recommend candidates. You’re no longer involved; new owners or the team handle staffing.

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14. How do you handle strategic planning sessions? You’re not involved in strategic planning at all. You occasionally review strategic plans as an advisor or board member, but don’t create them. You lead or guide strategy sessions, but execution is the team’s job. You single-handedly set strategy and direction. You set strategy but rely on staff for input and execution details.

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15. How would you describe the communication flow? Most communication comes to you for approval or guidance. Communication flows mostly within the team, and you’re looped in for strategic updates. Communication rarely involves you; only critical issues are escalated. Communication doesn’t involve you at all; you’re out of the loop. Nearly all communication, internal and external, comes through you.

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16. If you consider scaling the business, what’s the biggest change you need? More structured systems so you can delegate effectively to staff. A stronger leadership team that can operate without daily input from you. An exit strategy or sale, since you’re no longer looking to be involved. A fully independent governance structure, freeing you from any needed involvement. Your first hires to remove yourself from constant operational tasks.

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17. How essential are you to the delivery of the product/service? Completely essential; without you, delivery halts. Quite essential, though staff can handle smaller parts. Not essential; the team can deliver without your hands-on input. Not involved at all; you only watch from afar. You have no involvement; you may not even know the current delivery details.

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18. How do you feel about your current involvement? Comfortable guiding at a high level, but want the team fully empowered. Overwhelmed by daily tasks; you want to delegate. You’re content providing occasional strategic counsel and leaving operations to others. You’re fully detached and comfortable with that. You’re still too central, but looking to pull back some operational responsibilities.

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19. When it comes to financial oversight: You’re not involved; dividends or sale proceeds come to you passively. The leadership team manages the budget and reports results to you. You oversee finances with staff input, making final calls on budgets and expenses. You handle all financial tasks personally. Financial oversight is handled by the board and executives; you’re rarely involved.

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20. Ultimately, what do you want your relationship with the company to be? Less hands-on, but still the driving force as I step up from day-to-day tasks. A true CEO with capable staff, but still actively leading. A visionary leader offering strategic direction, not daily involvement. A strategic advisor or board member with minimal active input. No ongoing involvement; either sold or fully stepped back as an investor only.

Your Exit Stage

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