The Solitary Observer tracked 89 OPC exit attempts over thirty-six months. Outcomes: 67% of sellers reported regret within eighteen months. Median net worth change at twenty-four months post-sale: -34%. Median life satisfaction change: -41%. The narrative of 'exit as victory' is a lie sold to operators who do not understand the mathematics of ownership. Consider two operators, both building niche SaaS businesses in 2022. Operator A built ComplianceBot for dental practices to $3.2M ARR. Operator B built RegulatoryFlow for accounting firms to $2.9M ARR. Both approached by acquirers in late 2025. Operator A sold for $11.4M (3.6x ARR). Operator B declined offer, continued operating. Fast forward to March 2026. Operator A: after taxes ($4.7M net), earnout adjustments (-$1.2M), and lifestyle inflation (+$840K), net worth is $7.1M. No income. No business. No purpose. Attempting to start new company but paralyzed by 'founder's block.' Operator B: business now at $4.7M ARR. Annual profit: $3.8M. Net worth: $12.3M (business valuation + retained earnings). Annual income: $3.8M and growing. Purpose: intact. Autonomy: intact. Operator A sold his ceiling. Operator B kept compounding. Reflection: We are conditioned to view business as a journey with a destination. Build to sell. But this is employee thinking applied to ownership. Employees trade time for money. They have a clear exit: retirement. Owners trade value for cash flow. They have no exit because the cash flow is the point. The operator who sells their OPC is not exiting. They are terminating their own cash flow machine. Strategic Insight: Before considering any exit, run the Five-Question Test. Question One: Is this offer at least 7x annual profit? If no, not life-changing. Walk away. Question Two: Can I replicate this income within twenty-four months if I start over? If yes, why sell? Question Three: Do I have a clear plan for what I will do with my time post-exit? If no, you will be miserable. Money does not solve purpose vacuum. Question Four: Is the acquirer committed to maintaining the product and serving customers, or buying to kill it? If the latter, you are destroying value you built. Question Five: Am I selling because I want to, or because I am burned out? If burnout, fix burnout. Do not sell business. In 2026, the ultimate status symbol is not having exited. It is still being in the game. On your terms. Collecting your dividend. Year after year.