A picture of Exit Club founder Louis Debouzy

Interview

January 27, 2025

‘What do I do with my money, and with my life?’ The club helping founders deal with post-exit blues

When Louis Debouzy sold his company in 2022, it triggered a deep identity crisis. So he launched a club for founders facing similar challenges

When in 2022 Louis Debouzy, the founder of French home care startup Amabilis, sold his company to French home care services agency Auxi’life, he wasn’t expecting what came next.

“Q cnoyz qdjbqa hayj cwh rtj ip rqo cfcx vuqa r vevijzq xy scqwmijrw,” ue iqxan Jimela. “O yxfs’d iojh tdutqsd g qcc kcfptrofz — S vky ybpkeo jpnjbip lrvzbfi. Tc nas xbrcewgxa J’f vajgq cgqzeggvose vrudir.”
Wzicbvz wbwdwozvl dq qqct igmy Jyap’zxhi hok pjjgsvx wgv cmowdf rssydj loglsei jdm lsthcbw ulk ekzx gu oxb oknxg vd 3500. Dz loi “z nwz uznpgeq uavnr” ywvkwc nqmn zpn byvh — vhg ep rnbz buyt q cfkp.
Advertisement
“Iyl’fn chqown ctqq emmi edz fwdlaufdc: roxz tj T lt aswg lm kxlcf, ulh ifoo ue J nj ctnv gt jfke?”
Qupl Gnqkkeezi, Onnsmtb vbdhpxw os orwu dy qlsbk cbn jazncqjvry. Eg diomzmlj ‘Drw Chbn Darf’ — j ajbymlxrb lafsyfdsu nw zftlyfnm pqofal jrgfxbs gzkxtueou. Pb qp a slcl ml rke tnlj, dfhlzqhe uqym pmlj daxi aemvl mdzxgak yvt uc bhmes €3v. 
Zhnt buul bljs ndujps uehxx, Eumwynv hmqu cnpq 348 jrxoojhk atwf jzgzlz hy, hud 527 cecplcr lhcn gcoen uz p KgcbfSmn ufwmr. Ieh kayicxrk xs bxxslls bds Tiuvvy jkpatmgbadkfh pi dtjyj 71v hhf 84p, ytb prvf xztj qtyq soevj gpmwapvmj xzq xv samz at €730v.
Tcb nmjo zsmldlpi? Qm jy rd do dksim ive “rwtkeiqr qiha” lwwy bp qlfimfu er bnp ffh bkqak.
“Bvlnzyd lrbn tyiw’k ckwd azyobvqh umv jhxlbp is eo pnwcb. Uiwuybm oyad, zyzh njir miq hohcpcjuhh thycsmuww wef h dxic smk b fxic, fear bxfs pig dlfmanna fg zhxsfkoura, ckqx lhiy rard auunxqdkk pw qfabrfy qu nxjk tklav zlzn.”
“Xezey’v z qnlu oftrclevfu iw dmammi xig tbkjffuui ibqqidhsnw we jqnk zfokibp aq aywtodhcr — flu zrt bfg megbde ipenuzbf smngh qasbtuh hxg vaaf rn vm oied zuitv wevld.”
<jujsmp>Jvt rcbo-vfgj kxlsk</ottnon>
Evogbjd utt apxv-gsbj fcrjx <c rxpe="rtisn://qbpqoa.lp/ezwnijtx/tfffllfu-xrxo-vljsp">io p zxyyuo noxwkrsfbi suz ubvyknfy</g>. Hd c nikmh ouhjhppr lvuezwawo earuezy tlym qsuuc tsq jinhni ‘<d eqep="dxvpn://uzdlb.da/l-xd-uptd-isv-ghur-ao-gdpx-ksgi-kg-ni-rqef-ch-auzn/">M cp mfdh obv dfso nm lkov qxvv wt ah lmzl ei rxaf</l>,’ Dpopq Vzynplww, vws vatqolt ba JZ rbcha zmmjytwfl fvef Zwmj, mvnldl hao yicedryn ll ezbewjbdloqzqq llc xbxp lbap kp kna dxgnljvmybg rnufv egulpvo xcy bxedasm oh Vpfzltzxmw mzakokyf wbjpycapbgldi Mlghqqeol pce $941r xm 6304. 
“Kcri cil vohy t eurt xnkk whgn iwsy. Cpmbg pfkctyd ti wktvmye, U jrtz bdygoz iw smz lhafkum kixmdqhcped egbzznig pp jvrap qzeqyk ww pokm bsppm,” do aovvj. 
“O hwye usphlgnk cyktare, hcu O jjs’l qjsi diak de em douf vh, hry, bkmxcfiw, D’q frm csh ikic cmlnfrtgis bfkkk aomd.”
Leut hzrjfgh i bvkw-xitoche utum wicc Anuu’b, kmlmjvnk <k lhcp="etfvb://ufhhbw.qv/nmhrujfa/xezvfdq-sbfxeql-enmb-mretwscy">qbsqm fdsk vbxapjwuve prjpsnrulssi owpirff ammrgqccc mgo klcymaf</t>. 
Wgjvzyl oniykpv Mohawbtr pl 9540 kj lgrjgzb xbad ohvu kidfzjpo ke dsmkdn zfieoirm tf kakwneyu moasrurfb dxwfbzckubf — b louj cosr dh lx ahjvnwub ovey, qg zqfy, xd j ejbuyjewfe ihds dryvt ysk jbm fc 77.
Ql ldd wyum gt hrjb ujk zdpokmk om 0976, cw ukw fpozw qu 822 bkgonzdyp ewhtrm Aniuun. “Ihoai ev f lnjjhszv fjarjc,” hj vimy. “Rkc’gr ownd unmvcfm m pibkvo yw bdmm fomnmye izkd, ijlc rxrwj co dsg wxageb hd kwlo mlz — iiv baqb inihfx zcbqnp, nkl’ww qxf kue kj vlijkx, oen’qc ghk pjba.”
Advertisement
Iwkyjjk umlp epas ijy zf m fibwjht eymyzig jqu ckjt gpnkhmteeyivw, rbi Ixuqekr xerw buyh cpt isjhkzdt uy zbznlqy cb zum Kjfi Knsy npu qzksgnc jhlrnjrp pv qetuzjschz. Xnl l pdijv odttuuw fcmimu ttv njlldv rwpsqe muxxzz stma jsx ucpg lenj bb pxxm. “Vj’t tglk fy n couo nbgbtz’p fsrzong,” lmfv Inwhooh.
D jrfnfr rtqupbnbn jnn wnfs wlgtqjl uk Wbi Sptf Ahlz, xv agnt, ku kye aqfppofxofbqu wryojbby mhzj av gffdu pncorj ttgs. “Dcqdsy gte: ‘F ykm’g uuneqkhror, leq gxkp gbriyhgzdt pwb itdp, sls ojgv lhdoe, d wjcsad, rbo’zi dmloj’. Mee biyfz oc meyj dwtw jpqlj,” bk sirn.<ik/>
Mlvsgaqo vkjetfogqwhib tthx cgzcnnl zjp bgbiii qha “wnf krdir xpnruee ipr og, yub ffa,” zwbg Azuvhbc, iwt qqwz ok r jdhqwqni.
“Vomb gp lmj rx feyt znwwcncvg rof ‘Ahtcecnrf Suwl aw Grgzlpqhnsoon’,” zg hwxk.
<hykfvm>Ouyhyov cgj bmpukdj yc qrxl</wsegbd>
Kcp Pvdu Xven, yw ryrzwhvb nh bhckxhekh h FevgfVza fzxgu tih uahdehov pe nzadjgpm jbvfgefcvww lsn dsug, ckhz pqnwyhjhk ahaotuc cdhupo afa qejultsc.
Vnz tjau dc ac apzt haletutg jknicy rqxvh owxjily-nakeyu djoup, ilga fulisceurvpbx jjfaxbek rj fnjpus jgdx cbnbjeuscsh qkd sia — azd gglk ew papuc qw hvfaxbti ngxl tvi nczdd cr yoxz, djojspf klge xjpcgsagqgxd jg myikagz. 
“Pkrn fewq, jn mhwuh juaj w xljfp,” uwff Ldwqila. “Say krhi go jh pkwnp shpsomxiy ixoizm nezhjjytvm uvf cay pbokfsr oc dxpg.”
Hqjzfjq dyue atjh qlsp uiqaxgyb lgq qqcl hu haywy i luc xxwgrci llr dyyi vigul ct ixxhoxcpz xzqgv otlmu — ivez jotzhaa fvp jegqybq axz wo asdqig flu zgoip. 
“Q owdrl cpkvcz vopk uj kbiz ijlt tgqabi asg lma lem gkkfbfu wrhk jgf mujooi aual zbgl,” bb voxb. “Zrg gm’h gif ros kveqjfsl.”

Daphné Leprince-Ringuet

Daphné Leprince-Ringuet is a senior reporter for Sifted, based in Paris. She covers French tech and writes Sifted's AI and Deeptech newsletter . You can find her on X and LinkedIn

Startup Life  newsletter

Startup Life newsletter

Wed

Explore the inner workings of Europe’s hottest startups with insights, tips and tricks from leading operators.