ma-playbook

M&A strategy for acquiring companies or being acquired. Due diligence, valuation, integration, and deal structure. Use when evaluating acquisitions, preparing for acquisition, M&A due diligence, integration planning, or deal negotiation.

1,864 stars

Best use case

ma-playbook is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

M&A strategy for acquiring companies or being acquired. Due diligence, valuation, integration, and deal structure. Use when evaluating acquisitions, preparing for acquisition, M&A due diligence, integration planning, or deal negotiation.

Teams using ma-playbook should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/ma-playbook/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/LeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills/main/skills/c-level-advisor/ma-playbook/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/ma-playbook/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How ma-playbook Compares

Feature / Agentma-playbookStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

M&A strategy for acquiring companies or being acquired. Due diligence, valuation, integration, and deal structure. Use when evaluating acquisitions, preparing for acquisition, M&A due diligence, integration planning, or deal negotiation.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

SKILL.md Source

# M&A Playbook

Frameworks for both sides of M&A: acquiring companies and being acquired.

## Keywords
M&A, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, acquisition, acqui-hire, integration, deal structure, valuation, LOI, term sheet, earnout

## Quick Start

**Acquiring:** Start with strategic rationale → target screening → due diligence → valuation → negotiation → integration.

**Being Acquired:** Start with readiness assessment → data room prep → advisor selection → negotiation → transition.

## When You're Acquiring

### Strategic Rationale (answer before anything else)
- **Buy vs Build:** Can you build this faster/cheaper? If yes, don't acquire.
- **Acqui-hire vs Product vs Market:** What are you really buying? Talent? Technology? Customers?
- **Integration complexity:** How hard is it to merge this into your company?

### Due Diligence Checklist
| Domain | Key Questions | Red Flags |
|--------|--------------|-----------|
| Financial | Revenue quality, customer concentration, burn rate | >30% revenue from 1 customer |
| Technical | Code quality, tech debt, architecture fit | Monolith with no tests |
| Legal | IP ownership, pending litigation, contracts | Key IP owned by individuals |
| People | Key person risk, culture fit, retention risk | Founders have no lockup/earnout |
| Market | Market position, competitive threats | Declining market share |
| Customers | Churn rate, NPS, contract terms | High churn, short contracts |

### Valuation Approaches
- **Revenue multiple:** Industry-dependent (2-15x ARR for SaaS)
- **Comparable transactions:** What similar companies sold for
- **DCF:** For profitable companies only (most startups: use multiples)
- **Acqui-hire:** $1-3M per engineer in hot markets

### Integration Frameworks
See `references/integration-playbook.md` for the 100-day integration plan.

## When You're Being Acquired

### Readiness Signals
- Inbound interest from strategic buyers
- Market consolidation happening around you
- Fundraising becomes harder than operating
- Founder ready for a transition

### Preparation (6-12 months before)
1. Clean up financials (audited if possible)
2. Document all IP and contracts
3. Reduce customer concentration
4. Lock up key employees
5. Build the data room
6. Engage an M&A advisor

### Negotiation Points
| Term | What to Watch | Your Leverage |
|------|--------------|---------------|
| Valuation | Earnout traps (unreachable targets) | Multiple competing offers |
| Earnout | Milestone definitions, measurement period | Cash-heavy vs earnout-heavy split |
| Lockup | Duration, conditions | Your replaceability |
| Rep & warranties | Scope of liability | Escrow vs indemnification cap |
| Employee retention | Who gets offers, at what terms | Key person dependencies |

## Red Flags (Both Sides)

- No clear strategic rationale beyond "it's a good deal"
- Culture clash visible during due diligence and ignored
- Key people not locked in before close
- Integration plan doesn't exist or is "we'll figure it out"
- Valuation based on projections, not actuals

## Integration with C-Suite Roles

| Role | Contribution to M&A |
|------|-------------------|
| CEO | Strategic rationale, negotiation lead |
| CFO | Valuation, deal structure, financing |
| CTO | Technical due diligence, integration architecture |
| CHRO | People due diligence, retention planning |
| COO | Integration execution, process merge |
| CPO | Product roadmap impact, customer overlap |

## Resources
- `references/integration-playbook.md` — 100-day post-acquisition integration plan
- `references/due-diligence-checklist.md` — comprehensive DD checklist by domain

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