Jeff Hamons had eight companies competing for his business. He didn’t take the biggest number — he took the one that felt like the right fit. That decision, and what it says about how the best deals actually come together, is the heart of this episode.
This one’s a little different: instead of just talking theory, Vertilocity’s Bruce Nelson — who built his platform through a string of acquisitions — sits down with Jeff Hamons, founder of Computol, who sold his company into that same platform, to walk through both sides of a deal that’s still working five years later. Along the way, Cogent’s own philosophy comes into focus: opportunity first, money last.
Short version: the deals that hold up years down the road were rarely about the number. They were about who was sitting across the table.
Watch the episode and be sure to subscribe: Watch Cogent Conversations Episode 18
Key takeaways from this episode
- The best offer isn’t always the highest number. Jeff had eight interested companies to choose from. He picked the one where the conversation felt easy and the fit felt real — not the one with the biggest check.
- Cogent measures success by who stays, not just who signs. As a buy-side advisor, Cogent’s whole approach is opportunity first, money last: find the businesses that genuinely make sense together, and the economics tend to follow. Of the owners on platforms Cogent has helped build, most are still there years later.
- Growth by acquisition works when the culture is checked first. Bruce Nelson built his platform the same way — combining aligned teams and systems, not just adding revenue. Three acquisitions in five years, all picked for fit as much as fundamentals.
- A bigger platform can hand a seller resources they couldn’t have built alone. HR depth, compliance and cybersecurity expertise, a stronger technology stack — the kind of infrastructure a lean, independent shop struggles to fund on its own.
- The owners who stay are the proof the deal worked. One of Vertilocity’s earlier sellers climbed from running his own MSP to CEO of the whole platform. Years later, the majority of acquired owners are still on board.
- Selling doesn’t have to mean stepping back — it can mean stepping up. For Jeff’s team, joining a larger platform opened career paths that would have been years away, if they ever arrived, on their own.
Here’s what’s easy to miss from the outside: the highest bid and the best deal aren’t always the same offer. Jeff had his pick of eight, and the one he chose wasn’t the loudest number in the room — it was the one where the people, the resources, and the road ahead all lined up.
If you’re weighing what actually matters as you think about your own company’s future, that’s exactly the conversation worth having early. We’re happy to help you think it through anytime.
