2 builders who never spoke to each other

Get to the buyer directly rather than via a listing

Build relationships with the larger companies in your space long before you want to sell, and think out loud publicly about where the product is going. Direct offers have paid better than marketplace sales, though a listing is the route that reliably produces a room full of interested parties.

The method

1. 01

   Prefer a direct offer from another business over a marketplace listing, and expect a higher multiple again if the deal is an acquihire.

2. 02

   Approach the larger companies in your space and build a relationship long before you want to sell, so you are already in conversation when they start buying.

3. 03

   Thinking out loud on X about the future of your product can produce an acquirer without you ever running a sale process.

4. 04

   The exit sequence to expect: list on a marketplace, sign a letter of intent that locks out other buyers while due diligence runs and the price is still movable, then close with an asset purchase agreement.

What it returned

• $50,000

  Boot.dev approached him after a post on X; a year later he messaged their CEO Lane directly and closed at $50,000.

• 20

  The listing produced around 20 interested parties and a couple of offers.

• Two of his sales went through marketplaces and one came in directly, with direct offers proving more lucrative.

Sources

• How to Sell a StartupChris Frantz · chrisfrantz.com · 2021-06-13
• I sold my first SaaS for $50,000Florin Pop · florin-pop.com · Finding a Buyer · 2025-02-17
• I sold my 4th SaaS product. How and Why.Luca Restagno · solopreneurtofreedom.com · What’s the legal process for selling? · 2024-03-24