Sean Smith, Managing Partner of Search Fund Ventures and Co-Founder of the SMB Investor Network, sits down with Dev Shah, a rising micro-acquisition entrepreneur and founder of Pocket Fund. At just 23 years old, Dev has already completed seven digital business acquisitions — starting with a $4,000 SaaS deal that delivered a 40x return.

Together, they unpack:

• Dev’s first acquisition and early playbook

• How Pocket Fund sources undervalued digital businesses

• Value creation via social media, AI, and team arbitrage

• Unique deal structures and investor collaboration

• The rise of “zombie VC startups” and hidden gems in the downturn

• How AI tools are transforming deal diligence and operations

  
  

📌 Key Insight: Dev’s approach isn’t about finding perfect businesses — it’s about spotting broken-but-profitable digital assets, fixing them fast, and flipping or operating them for strong returns.

This is a masterclass in practical SMB investing, especially for those interested in:

• Micro-SaaS acquisitions

• AI-enabled operational improvements

• Creative capital structures without heavy debt

  
  

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