If you’re a UK software founder thinking about selling your business, but still want to run it post-sale, there’s one operating model you should pay close attention to: decentralisation.
In the UK, decentralisation is quietly becoming the preferred model for founders who want continuity, autonomy, and growth post transaction, without the bureaucracy of traditional private equity or corporate roll-ups.
This article explores what decentralisation really means, why it’s gaining traction in UK software M&A, and what’s at stake for founders who want to preserve the soul of their business after a sale.
🧩 What Is Decentralisation?
In a decentralised model, decision-making authority stays with the operating company i.e., you, rather than being absorbed by a central corporate HQ. You continue to run your business, manage your P&L, and make the calls that matter to your team and customers. You keep your culture, many if your systems, you finance team, YOU KEEP CONTROL.
Contrast that with a centralised model, where a head office (which always come with massive costs that your business will be paying for!) dictates strategy, branding, and operations. Founders often become regional managers, executing someone else’s playbook.
🏠 Why It Matters for UK Software Founders
Many UK software businesses—especially vertical market specialists—are built on deep domain expertise, customer intimacy, and founder-led innovation. These are precisely the traits that get diluted in centralised roll-ups.
Decentralised acquirers, on the other hand, offer:
- A permanent home for your business: No flipping, no short-term exit pressure.
- Continued leadership: You stay in charge, with autonomy to grow your business your way.
- Brand preservation: Your name, reputation, and culture remain intact.
- Aligned incentives: You benefit directly from the growth you continue to drive.
- Support when you need it: When you need to do something you haven’t done before there are resources and experts available to you, when you need it.
📈 Why Decentralisation Drives Better Outcomes
Here’s why decentralised models are outperforming traditional approaches—especially in fragmented, founder-led markets like UK vertical SaaS:
- Empowered leaders outperform: The best operators want to lead, not follow. Decentralised models attract and retain top talent by giving them real authority.
- Growth is easier at smaller scale: It’s simpler to grow a £5M revenue business by £1M than to grow a £100M business by £20M. Decentralised groups keep P&Ls small and growth rates high.
- Clear accountability: Each business has its own scorecard. If margins dip or growth stalls, it’s clear who’s responsible—and empowered to fix it.
- Less bureaucracy, better margins: Centralised teams create friction—meetings, mandates, approvals. Decentralised firms accept some duplication (e.g. local finance or sales teams) but avoid the drag of corporate overhead.
📊 Measuring Decentralisation
One simple metric: the ratio of total employees to corporate staff. In centralised firms, this might be 25:1. In decentralised groups it’s 100:1 or more. This means you are part of a leaner, more efficient business focussed on building for clients, not to support the Corporate HQ!
The higher the ratio, the more decisions are made locally—and the less bureaucracy founders have to navigate.
❤️ What’s at Stake?
For UK software founders, what’s at stake is more than just control—it’s the soul of your business.
Decentralised acquirers offer a rare proposition: sell your business, stay in charge, and continue building what you started. It’s not just a financial transaction—it’s a partnership built on trust, autonomy, and long-term growth.
If you’re exploring a sale, ask potential buyers one simple question: “Will I still be the one making decisions that matter?”
If the answer is yes, you might just be looking at a decentralised future. Contact Sean Massey now.