How to Build a Profitable SaaS in 6 Months and Sell it in 5 Days

How to Build a Profitable SaaS in 6 Months and Sell it in 5 Days

Author: Acquire.com September 25, 2024 Duration: 20:49

Software businesses can be immensely profitable in very little time. But they can also die just as quickly.


Software engineer Mark Jivko built Go index me!, a tool that speeds up Google page indexing, in six months for a bit of extra cash. He grew it to over 150 regular customers and thousands of dollars in sales in under a year.


But Mark knew building an app that only relied on the Google APIs was playing with fire. It could all be demolished with a keystroke during a system update. He wanted to sell while he was ahead so that he could move onto another project he was more passionate about.


Mark had previously sold a business on Acquire.com and knew he’d find the buyer he was looking for there. He sold Go index me! in one week under the tutelage of his buyer, an eight-time serial startup acquirer who DM’d him almost immediately.


Now Mark is gearing up for a new project to help founders using social media for product distribution to avoid platform addiction.


Tune in to this SASP with Mark and Andrew as they discuss:

  • Mark’s trick to do escrows faster
  • The questions you should never answer from buyers before going under LOI
  • Why Mark knew he was going to sell his tool from the beginning
  • How Mark plans to help founders who use social media reduce their addictions to the platforms
  • And read our writeup of Mark’s story here.


Mark is just getting started and you can follow him below:



Behind every successful startup acquisition, there's a story-a complex mix of strategy, emotion, and paperwork that rarely gets discussed openly. Startup Acquisition Stories, from the team at Acquire.com, pulls back the curtain on those real-world transactions. Each episode features founders and entrepreneurs who have personally navigated the process of selling or buying a business through their platform. You'll hear them recount the nuanced decisions that don't make it into press releases: the challenging conversations around valuation, the subtle art of vetting the opposite party, and the critical, often overlooked, steps after the handshake. This podcast digs into the practicalities of due diligence, structuring terms, and managing the transfer of assets, all the way through to escrow and the crucial post-deal transition. It’s a grounded, detail-oriented look at the mechanics of a business exit or expansion, straight from the people who’ve lived it. For anyone curious about the actual path to a deal, beyond the theory, this series offers a rare archive of lived experience and hard-won advice.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Startup Acquisition Stories
Podcast Episodes
Startup Acquisition Stories with Alan Li Co-founder of Moxa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:08
Startup Acquisition Stories with Alan Li Co-founder of Moxa Follow the Guest: Alan Li - ► https://linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629 ► https://twitter.com/alanliberkeley Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki - ► https://twitter…
Startup Acquisition Stories with JM Sanchez Co-founder of Studia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:47
Startup Acquisition Stories with JM Sanchez Co-founder of Studia Follow the Guest: JM Sanchez - ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmsanchezbarbera/ ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-korneev/ (Partner) ► https://www.stu…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Mark Spera, Co-founder of GrowthBar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:40
Startup Acquisition Stories with Mark Spera, Co-founder of GrowthBar Follow the Guest: Mark Spera - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-spera-90a62322 https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailey-friedman-44897734 (Hailey Friedman (C…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Josh Kim, Founder of The Cubby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:03
Startup Acquisition Stories with Josh Kim, Founder of The Cubby Follow the Guest: Josh Kim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshjiwonkim/ https://thecubby.com/ (SOLD) Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki - https://twitter.com/a…
Startup Acquisition Stories with JK Molina, Co-founder of Tweet Hunter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:50
Startup Acquisition Stories with JK Molina, Co-founder of Tweet Hunter Follow the Guest: JK Molina ► https://twitter.com/OneJKMolina ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkmolina/ ► https://tweethunter.io/ (Sold) Follow the Hos…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Moustaid Ayoub, Founder of Fastdok [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:16
Startup Acquisition Stories with Ayoub Moustaid, Founder of Fastdok Follow the Guest: Ayoub Moustaid - https://twitter.com/mstdayoub https://www.linkedin.com/in/moustaidayoub/ https://www.fastdok.com/ (Sold) Follow the H…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Jeff Richards, Founder of Rayneta [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:29
Startup Acquisition Stories with Jeff Richards, Founder of Rayneta Follow the Guest: Jeff Richards - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyscottrichards/ https://twitter.com/notjeffrichards https://www.linkedin.com/in/britt…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Alex Rainey, Founder of MyAskAI.com [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:32
Startup Acquisition Stories with Alex Rainey, Founder of MyAskAI.com Learn How to Sell Your SaaS From a Founder with 3x Sold Follow the Guest: Alex Rainey - ► https://twitter.com/RaineyAllDay ► https://www.linkedin.com/i…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Noah Bragg, Founder of Potion.so [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:04
From #BuildinPublic to Selling His SaaS for $300,000 Follow the Guest: Noah Bragg - ► https://twitter.com/noahwbragg ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahbragg/ ► https://supportman.io/ (Sold on Acquire.com) ► https://potio…