How To Sell Your Startup As An Indie Maker
June 12, 2023 | Garrett Houghton
Looking to sell your startup? This post is intended to be a primer on how to get started.
For a long time, it felt like the only type of tech startups that could "exit" (i.e. get a cash windfall for the owners and early employees) were VC-backed startups with large valuations that would either A) Go public or B) Get acquired by another major tech company. But that's no longer the case. If you're an indie maker with a tech project that is driving real metrics (users, revenue, etc.) or has novel technology, there's an alternate path for you - if you're looking to exit the business - that doesn't involve winding it down quietly. You can list and sell it on acquire.com.
What's acquire.com?
Acquire.com is an online marketplace to buy and sell startups. It brings together startup owners who are looking to sell their startups with interested buyers. And more than just bringing these two parties together, it automates virtually every step of the selling process, from creating a compelling listing to fielding offers from qualified buyers with verified funds to closing the deal with escrow.
How to get started?
Getting started is quick and easy. All you need to do is make an account, go through the site's guided startup listing process and that's it! The listing process is straightforward, you just need to provide some details on your startup: product description, asking price, key metrics, and then the Acquire team will review and edit the listing (for free!) before setting it live. It took me less than 48 hours to go from signing up to having my first listing live on the site.
Once your listing is live, interested buyers will sign NDAs (all managed by Acquire!) to view your startup and you can connect and message with potential buyers on the platform. From there, you'll go through the diligence process and connect with interested potential buyers, and hopefully, close a deal with a buyer through the platform.
Next steps
There's more to manage after you close a deal. For instance, transferring the tech over to the buyer, aligning on how long you'll support the product during the transition and more. I haven't gone past the listing stage on the site, but I will plan to do a follow up post if I get there! But hopefully, this post will help you get started on the path to selling your product as an indie maker. Good luck!
Don't have a product yet?
If you have an idea for a tech product or tech-supported product but don't know how to get started. No Code Camp can help you go from 0-1. Take a look at some of our courses and if you're ready to turn your idea into reality (without coding!), you can get started below.
