Startup Acquisition Stories With David Idol, Founder of Computer Mouse For XCloud

Startup Acquisition Stories With David Idol, Founder of Computer Mouse For XCloud

Author: Acquire.com March 19, 2024 Duration: 22:22

In a moment of frustration, David Idol created his first successful Chrome extension, Computer Mouse for XCloud.


In just a few short months, he was making $4,000 per month in revenue and he eventually sold his project for 5-figures.


Here’s how it happened.


David was working at Microsoft for Xbox Live when they launched XCloud, their cloud gaming application. It let players stream games from other devices like computers or phones. 


But David noticed a problem. Gamers weren’t able to play games on their PCs without special controllers. He coded a Chrome extension letting gamers use their keyboards for games on the PC. He posted about it on Reddit and almost overnight acquired thousands of users.


After three months, David added a one-time payment to access his product and reached $4,000 in monthly revenue and over 250,000 users. People around the world wrote him emails and reviews thanking him for the extension. He’d even made it easier for disabled people to enjoy Xbox games.


But though Computer Mouse for XCloud was exploding in popularity, David didn’t feel he had time to keep adding features. He listed it on Acquire.com and eventually sold it to a promising buyer.


Post sale, tune into this week’s episode of startup acquisition stories as David and Andrew discuss:


  • How David went from hacking Xbox games to working for Microsoft
  • Why David’s product name was great for traffic
  • The dangers of potential buyers for Chrome extensions
  • How to transfer ownership of Chrome extensions


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Follow the Guest: David Idol -


Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki - 


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About Acquire.com:


Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest-rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers. 


We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS and eCommerce/DTC businesses in the M&A industry. Join over 350,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals everyday.


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

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