Wade Barnes: From Billion Dollar Startup to Starting Over Part 3

Wade Barnes says he had about twenty eight million dollars of value on paper the day Farmers Edge went public at seventeen dollars a share. He sold at roughly thirty cents.This is Part 3, and it is the part he says he had never told publicly before. It covers the fundraising treadmill, the investor who insisted everyone hold the same class of shares, the decision to go public into a market that was screaming for technology listings, and what it felt like to watch the number fall every morning.What's Inside- The trap he walked into without seeing it: growth has to be shown to raise again, and spending is how you show growth- The fork he still thinks about, where he could have stayed a profitable business at a fraction of the size and did not, because he was afraid of being swallowed- Why the investor everyone warned him about turned out to be the one who insisted on treating every shareholder equally- The exits he believes were missed, and the tension that comes from an investor who is genuinely committed to the business- The advice he was given before the listing to leave carbon out of the story, the call from a former investor telling him the opposite, and which one he regrets following- What it is like to be the seventh most subscribed listing of the year and still watch the share price go one direction- Where he thinks the real advantage in farm data sits now, and why he does not think it sits with the companies making the loudest claims- Starting again at 350,000 acres with people he worked with before, deliberately not trying to rebuild what he hadRelated EpisodesWade Barnes Part 1: What Happens When the Data Company Loses the FarmerWade Barnes Part 2: competing with Monsanto and John Deere🎧 Why You Should Listen:Wade provides an honest look into the pressures of being a tech entrepreneur in agriculture, including what he would have done differently and why he believes a more personal touch with farmers is the key to success. Whether you're in agribusiness, tech, or just love a great entrepreneurial story, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and insights.Connect with Growing the FutureWebsite: growingthefuture.caYouTube: Growing the FutureInstagram: @growingthefuturepodcastLinkedIn: Growing the FutureSubscribe to the Growing the Future Podcast wherever you listen, and register for Convergence Conference 2027 at convergence.ag. Register for the Convergence Conference at convergence.ag and stay updated by subscribing to the Growing the Future Podcast at growingthefuturepodcast.ca.