Our blog
Helping bootstrapped SaaS startups grow to scale and achieve dream exits.
One Founder’s Journey from Bootstrapping in Indianapolis to Raising VC Funding in Silicon Valley and Back
Jell Founder, Ade Olonoh, has had a nearly life-long passion for programming and entrepreneurship. He fell in love with programming in a QBasic class back in High School, and paid for his College degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics by writing Perl code. Shortly after graduating, he started not one, but two companies. And that’s just the early part of his bio. Recently we chatted with Ade about his many experiences as a founder, from bootstrapping early startups in Indianapolis, to raising capital in Silicon Valley, and his recent sale of daily standup software, Jell, to SureSwift.
Founder Summit 2020 Is in Just Three Weeks. Last Chance to Register!
Running 30+ online and SaaS businesses, we know firsthand that founders are up to their eyeballs in strategic and tactical advice on building products and acquiring customers. There are enough blogs, books, articles and podcasts to fill every waking moment of the day with tips. But there are still some conversations we’re not having – the kind that can only be had with other founders in an open environment. That’s why we’re teaming up with Earnest Capital to host a PowerPoint and pitch free, founders-only event to kick off the new decade by having those conversations and forging new connections.
SureSwift Acquires B2B SaaS Startup, Jell
We’re thrilled to announce a new addition to our B2B SaaS portfolio with the acquisition of Jell, an online tool that enables collaboration and daily standups for technical teams. Founders Ade Olonoh, Michael Mattax and Jon Izquierdo launched the business in 2015, growing it to a fully-scaled platform that thousands of teams rely on to streamline their daily work.
How to Value a Bootstrapped SaaS Business
SureSwift is in the business of acquisitions, so you might think a post on SaaS valuation from us is a conflict of interest. A founder obviously wants to sell for the highest number possible, and a buyer wants to buy for the lowest reasonable number possible. But there’s a sweet spot where the founder gets a dream exit — not just a good number, but also a good outcome for their customers and team — and the buyer gets a fair price. With 30+ acquisitions under our belts, we’re confident that we know a thing or two about that. We also get asked by a lot of people how we value a bootstrapped SaaS, so today we’re sharing the basic terms you should know, and things to consider if you’re thinking about selling your SaaS now or in the future.
How a Startup-Addicted Engineer Turned His Side Project Into a Profitable SaaS Business Sale
Kishin Manglani’s resume reads like a “Who’s Who” of the startup world. He’s been an early employee at tech startups like Venmo, Bustle, Hatch/Tinder, and others. So it was pretty natural that his passion for startups extended into his personal life. In 2016 he founded the ChargeStripe app. This is the story of how he grew the business to a sale in 2 short years, and how he knew it was time to sell. Plus, our Product Manager Radu Irava talks to us about the future of the app at SureSwift.
It’s Not All About the Benjamins: Why Building a SaaS Portfolio Takes More Than Just Cash
We get a ton of questions from people about what it takes to buy a SaaS business. Here’s our advice for anyone interested in growing revenue through acquisition, whether you’re thinking about buying one business or 100.
What Do You Think of Our New Website?
Growth at SureSwift has always been swift, but this season things have kicked into a whole new gear with a new look for our website, two new leadership hires, new job openings, and new events on the horizon. Here’s the latest on what’s happening with us this winter.
When It Comes to Your SaaS Tech Stack, Keep It Simple
When you’re starting a software business from scratch, there are a ton of options for how to build it. Acquiring and running more than 30 online businesses, we’ve learned a lot about what to do and what not to do when it comes to your SaaS tech stack.
How an Opera Singer and a Software Engineer Built a $55k/mo SaaS Ed Tech Business from the Ground Up
Back in 2017 Danielle Simpson had an unlikely bio for a SaaS founder. She was an opera singer auditioning for roles and side hustling as an online ESL teacher. This is the story of how she and her partner, Arvid Kahl, built FeedbackPanda from the ground up, and how they knew it was time to sell.
SureSwift Acquires Ed Tech Startup FeedbackPanda
We’re stoked to announce a new addition to our portfolio with the acquisition of FeedbackPanda, an Ed Tech SaaS business, which was founded by Danielle Simpson and Arvid Kahl in 2017.