I sold my life for a $2 waffle maker
In this 2011 acquisition retrospective, @jasonong reflects on the journey of bootstrapping and successfully selling their business. The deal highlights significant financial milestones ($2).
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 ★ 8 points
TOTAL DISCUSSIONS 4 comments
4-5 years ago I read a story about a guy who was trying to get back from vacation in time to make it to work on a Monday morning so he would not have to take a day off the next day and "miss more work". Was driving though the night, killed his wife and two kids when he fell asleep at the wheel, I don'e even think he had equity in the company. Totally changed the way I ran my business and the way I worked. This blog post is dead on.