Welcome to the third minisode of MentorEd, a sharp, real-world mentorship series for founders, entrepreneurs, and emerging startup leaders. Co-hosted by Ed Roberto and Adel Hameed, this series delivers fast doses of clarity for when you're building a company and facing tough leadership moments.In this episode, Ed, an experienced founder and executive, mentors Adel through one of the most emotionally complex M&A challenges: what happens when a founder is asked to step aside, and wants to stay.

Together, they explore:

- What to do when you’re the founder asked to leave post-acquisition

- Why co-CEO setups rarely work

- How to manage leadership overlap without damaging trust

- The role of ego, boards, and role clarity in successful integrations

- What founders should ask themselves before pushing to stay

If you’re preparing for acquisition or navigating leadership transitions, this minisode brings grounded advice and real-world perspective.

Got a question for Ed to tackle next? Drop it in the comments or visit sausleadership.com.

Subscribe and stay tuned, MentorEd is just getting started.

Brought to you by A8 Strategy.