Why Selling a Profitable Startup Was The Best Move

Why Selling a Profitable Startup Was The Best Move

Author: Acquire.com August 18, 2025 Duration: 14:41

JJ Englert didn’t start in SEO. He built Trade Backlinks, a profitable SEO marketplace for buying and selling backlinks safely and transparently.


He launched it lean, listened to user feedback, and kept adding features that mattered: automated link tracking, performance analytics, and verified member checks. The platform became the go-to in its niche.


When the excitement to keep building faded, JJ prepared for a clean exit. Organized financials, documented processes, and a business that ran without him meant buyers could move fast.


He listed on Acquire.com. Verified buyers, streamlined communication, and a short due diligence window led to a fast, fair deal, fully on his terms.


In this episode, JJ shares:

  • How early preparation made the sale easier

  • Why losing passion can be the right signal to sell

    • How Acquire.com tools sped up the deal


    3 lessons from JJ’s exit:

    1. Preparation builds trust and shortens deals
    2. Passion impacts performance more than you think
    3. The right platform can connect you with serious buyers fast.


    Whether you’re building to keep or selling to move on, JJ’s story shows that preparation, clarity, and timing make all the difference.


    Follow JJ's Journey:

    LinkedIn

    X (Twitter)

    Youtube




  • 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
    Why Clear Execution Made This Acquisition a Sure Thing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 17:36
    Zach Simmons did not approach acquisition as a shortcut. He approached it as a shift in risk.After building companies from scratch, he understood how uncertain the early stages can be. Validation takes time, traction tak…
    How Building in Public Turned Trust Into a Clean Exit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 21:58
    Maxime Berger built BlogBuster in public long before he tried to sell it.With no audience at first, he showed up daily and shared the work as it happened. That consistency created trust before the product ever launched a…
    From Zero to a Business Ready to Sell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 15:10
    Arman Iranpour and Matt Aleali built Appraiva with a clear goal: make the business work before trying to scale it.Instead of chasing growth early, they focused on solving one problem well and building a product buyers co…
    Why Waiting Made This Startup Actually Worth Selling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 26:04
    Samuel Abebe almost sold SpeakerSplit too early, but waiting turned it into a business that buyers actually wanted.Instead of cashing out fast, Samuel focused on building predictable revenue, operational clarity, and a s…
    Why Buyers Wanted THIS Design Business [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 26:20
    Eddie Lobanovskiy, David Kovalev, and Phil Goodwin didn’t grow a design agency through hype.They built a subscription design business around systems, clarity, and predictable delivery, and that’s what attracted buyers.Af…
    The Playbook Behind 18 Startup Acquisitions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 21:30
    Stewart Faught has built and sold 18 software companies without venture funding or hype.His path demonstrates how simple tools, focused verticals, and repeatable systems can create tangible outcomes.By focusing on local…
    How This Bootstrapped App Got a Fast, Clean Exit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 27:08
    Seun Oshinaike built Street Tag, a fitness app that turned daily walks into friendly competition and community impact, to make movement fun again.Without VC funding or shortcuts, he grew Street Tag across the UK, proving…
    The 48-Hour Rescue That Turned Into a Profitable Acquisition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 19:54
    When a startup shut down overnight, Jesse Tinsley saw an opportunity. In less than 48 hours, he transformed a company that had gone dormant into a profitable and growing business.His founder story demonstrates how swift…
    One Simple Habit Made This Startup Easy to Sell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 21:39
    Growing fast isn’t the only way to succeed. For Jordan Richards, staying consistent was what made his exit possible.His founder story shows how discipline and documentation can turn a small agency into a clean, profitabl…
    From Two Small Projects to Profitable Exits on Acquire.com [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

    Duration: 16:44
    Running small projects may not be glamorous. But for Thomas Ulman, it was the smartest way to scale and sell. His founder story shows how improving what already works can lead to clean, profitable exits.He took over Wait…