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Anita Kirkovska, co-founder of VoicePen, shares her startup acquisition story, highlighting the importance of building in public, identifying target customers, and finding the right buyer. She acquired initial customers through Twitter and Product Hunt by building a visually appealing product using Bubble. Anita emphasizes the value of user feedback and marketing to channels where the target audience is present. She and her co-founder prioritized no-code development to quickly find product-market fit and maintain flexibility. In selling their startup, they focused on being responsive to buyers, de-risking the acquisition, and choosing a buyer who believed in their idea and could take the product to the next level. Anita also suggests introducing a development agency for non-technical teams and mentions her current app, Waistband.
In this section, Anita Kirkovska, the co-founder of VoicePen, shares her background and journey leading up to the acquisition of her startup. Anita had always worked with startups in marketing and growth roles before deciding to start her own company. Her last job was as a growth engineer at a company called Interesting Labs, where they built a no-code software for data analytics that they later sold. Anita and her co-founder, Marina, built several products using a no-code approach and tested them over the past year. They eventually developed VoicePen, an AI app that converts video and audio into blog posts. Anita also mentions their previous project, Bio, which initially aimed to be a blockchain-based linking bio for NFT owners but later transformed into a video-first tool for creators to create portfolios.
In this section, Anita Kirkovska discusses how she acquired her first customers for VoicePen. She explains that they mainly gained initial customers through Twitter and Product Hunt by building in public and leveraging the no-code community. They focused on building a visually appealing product with Bubble, despite the common belief that no-code apps have bad UI. They quickly learned the importance of shipping features and getting user feedback rather than striving for perfection. By gaining traction and around 10,000 users without any paid campaigns, Anita emphasizes the value of building in public and creating an emotional connection with potential customers. She also highlights the significance of marketing to channels where your target audience is present, such as Twitter for creators.
In this section, Anita Kirkovska, co-founder of VoicePen, discusses the importance of identifying the type of customers you want to serve and aligning your business accordingly. She emphasizes the need to find enjoyment in what you're building and to have unique insights into your target customers, as this will help sustain your motivation and drive. Anita also highlights the significance of personal introspection to determine what you truly want to achieve with your startup, whether it's building a big company with a large team or remaining a solo entrepreneur. She explains how she and her co-founder realized that they didn't want to run a big company and instead wanted to focus on building products that they could enjoy and make money from, while having the flexibility to work from anywhere. They built a list of their personal preferences and decided to prioritize no-code development, allowing them the freedom to test and iterate on multiple product ideas. This approach enables them to quickly find product-market fit and adjust their focus accordingly.
In this section, Anita Kirkovska, co-founder of VoicePen, talks about the importance of being responsive to buyers and answering their questions when selling a startup. She emphasized the need for a centralized document with frequently asked questions to save time and educate potential buyers. Anita also discussed the importance of de-risking the acquisition for the buyer by offering technical support and providing a smooth transition. Furthermore, she mentioned that the final buyer for VoicePen was chosen based on their interest in pre-revenue startups.
In this section, Anita Kirkovska, co-founder of VoicePen, discusses how they chose their buyer for their pre-revenue startup acquisition. She explains that they looked for a buyer who believed in their idea and had a specific spot in the market for it. They found a buyer who was a creator themselves and lived in the communities where the product would be the best fit. Anita emphasizes the importance of finding someone who can take the product to the next level, acknowledging that she personally knew there was an opportunity for growth but recognized that she wasn't the best person to do it. She advises other founders to talk to other founders who have sold their startups for advice and guidance in the acquisition process. Anita also extends an open invitation for founders planning to sell their startups to reach out to her for any questions they may have.
In this section, Anita suggests to the host that they should consider introducing a development agency or marketplace for non-technical teams who may need assistance with the technical aspect of their product. She explains that buying a complex software-as-a-service (SaaS) product without any engineers on the team can be challenging and recommends involving an agency for technical due diligence. While the host agrees with the feedback and mentions that they have made similar recommendations in the past, they have not currently established a dedicated service for this purpose. Anita also shares that she is currently working on an app called Waistband, which converts audio and video files into blog posts for better SEO optimization.
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