Why I'm exploring franchises after 7 years as a startup COO

What if the best path to ownership isn’t another startup?

I spent 7 years as a startup COO. YC company, the whole thing. Fundraising rounds, scaling teams, putting out fires at 2am.

I loved it. And I learned a ton.

But lately I’ve been noticing something.

Many of the wealthiest business owners I know don’t run tech startups. They own “boring” businesses. Laundromats. HVAC companies. Franchises.

Predictable cash flow. Real customers. Actual profits from year one.

So I started researching franchises. Honestly, I expected to feel like I was settling. Like I was giving up on the big swing.

Instead? My operator brain got excited.

Proven systems. Real unit economics. Territory data you can actually analyze. It’s like someone handed me a playbook that already works.

Here’s what I’m realizing:

Startups optimize for upside. Franchises optimize for predictability.

Neither is better. It depends on what you’re solving for.

After years of building everything from scratch, there’s something appealing about buying a system that works. You’re not inventing the wheel. You’re running it.

Now, franchises aren’t passive income. They’re real work. And you give up the moonshot. But for some goals, that’s the right trade.

I’m still early in this exploration. More to share as I learn.

Has anyone else looked at franchises after a startup career? Curious what surprised you.