Tony Dinh
@tdinh_me205K followers
Vietnamese indie hacker behind TypingMind, DevUtils, and exits Black Magic and Xnapper
TypingMind, DevUtils, Black Magic +3$142K/mo
exit story · 2023 · browser extension makers
How Tony Dinh Sold Black Magic to Hypefury (2023)
Black Magic was built by Tony Dinh and sold to Hypefury in 2023 for $128K. At the time of the sale it made ~$14K MRR (~$168K ARR).
Key facts
- Buyer
- Hypefury ↗
- Year
- 2023
- Price
- $128K
- Revenue at sale
- ~$14K MRR (~$168K ARR)
- Years operated
- 2 years
- Channel
- Direct sale
Why they sold: Twitter's new API pricing, said to start at $42K a month, made the business unviable overnight and access could be cut at any moment. Dinh concluded that selling was the only responsible way to keep the product alive for customers.
The story of Black Magic
Black Magic was a browser extension and toolset for Twitter power users that Tony Dinh built as a solo founder from 2021. It grew to about $14K MRR at roughly 90% profit margins and let him quit his job to work on his own products full-time. In early 2023 he turned down a $500K acquisition offer.
Around March 2023 Dinh learned privately that Twitter's new enterprise API pricing would start at about $42K a month, with free access cut off within weeks. With no leverage and little time, he spoke to three potential buyers and got two offers. He accepted Hypefury's offer of $128K, under one times annual revenue. After the letter of intent the two companies told Twitter about the deal, which helped restore Black Magic's API access when it was briefly cut off.
The deal closed through escrow.com, with Hypefury paying for enterprise API access and users asked to re-authorize under Hypefury's app. Weeks later Twitter announced a $5K-a-month tier that Dinh said he would have paid. He stayed involved for at least a year while focusing on TypingMind.
Lessons Tony Dinh shared
- 1.Building on another company's API carries platform risk that can wipe out a profitable business almost overnight.
- 2.In hindsight he could have taken the earlier $500K offer, or reached out to more buyers despite the time pressure.
- 3.A sale can still be the responsible choice for customers even when the price is disappointing, compared with shutting down and refunding everyone.
Paraphrased from the maker's public posts and interviews (see sources).
The maker
See the Black Magic product page or Tony Dinh's full profile for everything they have built since.
Other exits by Tony Dinh
With TypingMind making $40K+ a month, Tony Dinh had little time or motivation left for Xnapper and felt that leaving it on autopilot wasted its potential.
by Tony Dinh
Related exit stories
Same buyer, category or sale channel as Black Magic.
Hivoe
→ Hypefury · 2023
Twitter's new API pricing made the business unviable almost overnight, so Luca Restagno sold it rather than shut it down.
by Luca Restagno
Inboxs
→ Hypefury · 2023
Twitter's new API pricing made the product unviable to run independently, so Luca Restagno sold rather than shut it down.
by Luca Restagno
M
MailTracker
→ Mailmeteor · 2026
by Tom Benattar
After about two years of running it, Florin Pop felt burned out, wanted to focus on new projects, thought someone else could take it further, and wanted the flexibility of $50K in cash.
by Florin Pop
Sources
- news.tonydinh.com — news.tonydinh.com/p/may-2023-i-sold-my-2-years-old-business
- blackmagicso.substack.com — blackmagicso.substack.com/p/black-magic-has-joined-hypefury
- news.tonydinh.com — news.tonydinh.com/p/apr-2023-i-sold-black-magic
Facts are taken from the maker's and buyer's public statements and press coverage. Prices and revenue are shown only when publicly stated; self-reported figures are not independently verified.
Keep exploring
Black Magic acquisition FAQ
Who bought Black Magic?
Black Magic was acquired by Hypefury in 2023 from Tony Dinh.
How much did Black Magic sell for?
Black Magic sold for $128K, as publicly stated. At the time of the sale it made ~$14K MRR (~$168K ARR).
Why did Tony Dinh sell Black Magic?
Twitter's new API pricing, said to start at $42K a month, made the business unviable overnight and access could be cut at any moment. Dinh concluded that selling was the only responsible way to keep the product alive for customers.
How long did it take Black Magic to get acquired?
Black Magic was sold about 2 years after launch, through a direct sale (sold directly to a buyer, often a competitor, customer or acquirer that reached out).
What did Tony Dinh learn from selling Black Magic?
Building on another company's API carries platform risk that can wipe out a profitable business almost overnight. In hindsight he could have taken the earlier $500K offer, or reached out to more buyers despite the time pressure.