I sold my side project
In this 2013 acquisition retrospective, @joshsharp reflects on the journey of bootstrapping and successfully selling their business.
Core Principles for Independent Builders:
Unsolicited buyer inquiries versus running a deliberate auction process require very different negotiation leverage.
Bootstrapping for years without external capital provides extreme freedom, but exits are often triggered by energy depletion as much as financial gain.
Retaining ownership of code and operations creates pride, but transitioning to an acquirer requires letting go of absolute autonomy.
Community Debate Themes:
Hacker News peers debated transaction structures (cash vs earnout), founder tax strategies, and life after liquidating a long-term indie asset.
CATEGORY Startup Exits →
HISTORICAL ERA Web 2.0 Genesis (2007–2013)
COMMUNITY SCORE 25 points
TOTAL DISCUSSIONS 1 comments
This is almost as much a comment on the process of making a decision as anything else. Having made a few big decisions recently, I was surprised at how ill-equipped I felt in evaluating possible directions. It's really quite difficult to imagine how you'll feel about a decision after it has been made.
For my recent decision, I spent many hours of careful consideration, developing factors and ranking their relative importance. Not a happy process, but I do believe I made the correct decision. Nothing worse that living with a decision you regret.