I sold my startup and have $20m in the bank. What would you do with it?
In this 2010 acquisition retrospective, @mikeyur reflects on the journey of bootstrapping and successfully selling their business. The deal highlights significant financial milestones ($20m).
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 ★ 10 points
TOTAL DISCUSSIONS 3 comments
Diversify.
Retire for one year to a buddhist temple in china/india and find inner peace and nirvana.
Come back (you may not, I warn you) and do what you really want to do with your life, nothing else.
Right now I am coding just to get some money to do what I really like to do with my life: coding.
I would diversify my investments internationally, pack my laptop and reading material and book a long cruise. Seriously: no matter how long the trip, my wife and I never get bored on a cruise ship. Also, on board a ship is a good place to think and do some creative work.
Serious congrats to him. Wonder if he is a Hacker News user.
If I had $20M I'd do another startup and angel invest a bit. Video Game Studio or Printer Manufacturer. Go all in for IPO.
Doesn't that depend entirely on how you see life and what you want in yours?