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In the high-stakes world of small business acquisition, Clint Fiore is the operator who decided to stop fighting the current and instead built a dam to redirect it.
A commercial pilot by training, Fiore often compares entrepreneurship to that terrifying first solo flight. "You go up there and just realize your life is in your hands," he says. "If I screw this up, I die. There is nobody else here to land this plane."
For over a decade, Fiore ran a successful boutique brokerage in Texas, known for a methodical, pilot-like approach to deal-making. But in 2025, he made a massive pivot. Realizing that the widely predicted "Silver Tsunami" of retiring Baby Boomers was being dwarfed by a "Buyer Tsunami" of millennials desperate to acquire, he raised venture capital to disrupt the industry.
He dissolved the traditional commission model and launched Dealonomy, a platform designed to solve the single biggest problem in the market: friction.
From "Needle in a Haystack" to the "Needle Store"
For years, searchers have complained that finding a quality business to buy is like finding a needle in a haystack. The market is flooded with "hay"—bad listings, disorganized sellers, and broken processes. In 2025, Fiore launched Dealonomy with a simple premise: Stop selling the hay. Just sell the needles.
Fiore’s previous firm, Texas Business Buyers, was famous for a 90% closing rate, achieved by rejecting three-quarters of the sellers who came to them with unrealistic expectations. With Dealonomy, he flipped the industry model entirely to unlock inventory. The new "Buyer-Pay" model charges sellers 0% commission.
To prove his confidence in his valuations, Fiore offers a "burn the boats" guarantee: if the platform cannot bring a seller an offer within their predicted valuation range in 90 days, he pays the seller $10,000.
By removing the financial risk for sellers, he floods the platform with vetted inventory.
The model is monetized by the buyers, who pay membership fees for early access and a success fee upon closing. It is a system designed to professionalize the "Wild West" of Main Street M&A.
The "Whale Shark" Philosophy
To navigate this new landscape, Fiore coined the term "Whale Shark" to describe the ideal modern acquirer. In his view, the most successful searchers are neither pure investors nor pure operators—they are a hybrid species.
The "Whale" represents the investor mindset. Whales are patient, calm, and focused on capital allocation. They feed on volume (plankton), filtering through massive amounts of deal flow without getting distracted or emotional. The "Shark" represents the operator DNA. Sharks have teeth. They are aggressive, territorial, and capable of hunting when necessary.
A true "Whale Shark" in the SMB space is an operator who thinks like an investor. They peacefully filter through opportunities until they find the right fit, and then they strike with the operational precision of an entrepreneur.
The Playbook: Rules for the Modern Searcher
Through his years of mediating between frustrated buyers and stubborn sellers, Fiore has developed a specific playbook for searchers who want to actually close a deal rather than just browse.
The "Level Up" Strategy: Most new searchers are obsessed with the $1M+ EBITDA mark. Fiore warns that this is a "killing field" where independent searchers are forced to compete with Private Equity firms and family offices. Instead, he advises targeting the "sweet spot" of $200k to $800k in Seller Discretionary Earnings (SDE). These businesses are often too small for institutional buyers but offer a massive ROI for owner-operators. They can typically be bought for 2x–3x multiples, allowing a searcher to professionalize the business, build cash flow, and "level up" to larger acquisitions later.
Don’t Be "That" Buyer: Brokers classify buyers within seconds. To avoid being labeled a "tire kicker," Fiore advises against sending template emails asking for details that are already on the website. His golden rule is to remove friction: sign the NDA immediately without redlining it. If a buyer needs a lawyer to review a standard confidentiality agreement, a broker assumes they will be a nightmare to close. Furthermore, serious buyers lead with proof of funds—having a pre-approval letter from an SBA lender ready before the first call.
Bridge the Identity Gap: Sellers, particularly Baby Boomers, often wrap their identity in their trade. A nursery owner believes only another nurseryman can run their plant business. Fiore advises searchers to stop leading with their MBA or spreadsheets. Instead, sell your work ethic and respect for their legacy. You must sell yourself to the broker so the broker can sell you to the seller.
Expanding the "Luck Surface Area"
Fiore is also a testament to the power of building an audience before you have a product. He spent years tweeting as @ClintFiore, sharing the nuances of deal-making, and building a massive following. He calls this "increasing your luck surface area."
He once tested this theory by tweeting a joke about buying a niche business that repairs "obsolete ejection seats." Almost immediately, a follower DM’d him saying, "I actually own an ejection seat repair business, and I want to sell." For Fiore, this proved that in the proprietary world of SMB, luck is engineered. By broadcasting intent and competence, you stop hunting for deals and let the deals start finding you.
