Episode Description
Margareta Křížová co-founded a boutique M&A advisory firm in Prague in 1993, headed its mergers and acquisitions division for 12 years, and then sold her equity stake at 53 to rebuild as an independent freelancer.
She now combines selective M&A advisory work with entrepreneurship mentoring, runs the Newton University Business Accelerator (now in its fifth year), and has published three books including "Third Career" on building a professional life after 50.
Margareta shares her six-question alternative to traditional business plans, explains why she refuses to read anything longer than two pages, and describes the financial blind spot she calls "invisible work," where freelancers systematically fail to count their own hours.
The conversation covers how she uses ChatGPT with Keith Cunningham's "The Road Less Stupid" as a virtual thinking partner, why side hustles work as a low-risk transition strategy from corporate employment, and what the Newton accelerator's intergenerational mix of university students and experienced professionals teaches both groups about starting businesses.
For experienced independent professionals considering a portfolio career, this episode maps the practical realities of going from equity partner to sole operator.
Mentions: "The Road Less Stupid" by Keith Cunningham. ChatGPT, NotebookLM. Newton University Business Accelerator. Den D (Czech Dragons' Den).
Connect with Margareta: website: margaretakrizova.com | LinkedIn Margareta Křížová
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