If your goal as a founder with an acquired business was to keep working at your baby, and being as happy with it as you were before, and you end up leaving, one

If your goal as a founder with an acquired business was to keep working at your baby, and being as happy with it as you were before, and you end up leaving, one can only assume that your goals were no longer being fulfilled -- ergo, failure. That's why if I ever sell my business, I won't be part of the package. I never want to work for anyone else, ever again.