Could your business structure quietly cost you millions when you sell? In this solo episode, Rob Walling answers listener questions about when QSBS might justify a C Corp (vs. staying an S Corp or LLC), why SaaS exits are often discussed in ARR multiples rather than EBITDA, and how the profitability/growth tradeoff impacts valuation. He also shares thoughts on GMV-based pricing and where developers can learn practical, non-fluffy marketing skills. Episode Sponsors: This episode is brought to you by [Mercury](http://mercury.com) Mercury is the banking solution I use across my businesses, from my personal single-member LLC to MicroConf and TinySeed. Traditional banking forces you to duct-tape tools together and work around slow, clunky processes. Mercury gives me a clean dashboard that shows exactly where each business stands at a glance. The interface is simple enough for daily banking and paying invoices, but powerful enough to handle multi-step approval workflows for large transfers. There's a reason more than 300,000 entrepreneurs have made the switch. It's free to get started with no in-person visits and no minimum balance. Apply online in minutes at mercury.com. Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC. If you’ve got a strong vision but no technical partner, you need more than a “vibe-coded” MVP, you need a real foundation. That’s where[Designli](https://designli.co/fortherestofus) comes in. Their two-week SolutionLab Prototyping Sprint pairs you with a product owner, designer, and developer to turn your idea into a beautiful, clickable prototype you’ll be proud to show investors or early users. Right now, Startups for the Rest of Us listeners get $3,800 off their sprint. Get started atdesignli.co/fortherestofus Topics we cover: - (3:30) – How the QSBS tax benefit can save you millions - (7:40) – C Corp vs. S Corp: which structure makes sense for founders - (9:39) – Why ARR multiples matter more than EBITDA in SaaS - (13:13) – Profitability as a drain on growth - (16:44) – Should co-founders join the same mastermind? - (18:08) – How to leverage GMV-based pricing in SaaS - (21:43) – The best way for developers to learn real marketing skills - (30:37) – Why every founder should master sales and marketing early Links from the Show: - [TinySeed Applications Live Q&A](https://www.youtube.com/live/lXfWGAsmdA0) - February 11th, 10:00 AM EST - [Apply to TinySeed](https://tinyseed.com/apply) - Applications are until Feb 17th, 2026 - [The SaaS Playbook by Rob Walling](https://robwalling.com/books) - [MicroConf](https://microconf.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Community for SaaS Founders - [Conversion Factory](https://www.conversionfactory.co/) - [TinySeed Mentors](https://tinyseed.com/mentors) - [Rob Walling on X (@robwalling)](https://twitter.com/robwalling) If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please [submit your question](https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/contact) for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-for-the-rest-of-us/id366931951) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ww2e4JNO2cfxWC2ImR7DJ)