Chris Coyier
@chriscoyier United States230K followers
Co-founder of CodePen, ShopTalk Show co-host, ran CSS-Tricks 2007-2022
CodePen, CSS-Tricks
exit story · 2022 · creators & writers
How Chris Coyier Sold CSS-Tricks to DigitalOcean (2022)
CSS-Tricks was built by Chris Coyier and sold to DigitalOcean in 2022 for ~$4M (reported from DigitalOcean's SEC filing; not confirmed by the seller).
Key facts
- Buyer
- DigitalOcean ↗
- Year
- 2022
- Price
- ~$4M (reported from DigitalOcean's SEC filing; not confirmed by the seller)
- Revenue at sale
- —
- Years operated
- 15 years
- Channel
- Direct sale
Why they sold: Chris wanted to give CodePen his full attention and lacked the time to scale the site further. DigitalOcean could put a whole community and content team behind it and look after it well.
The story of CSS-Tricks
CSS-Tricks began in 2007 as one of several blog experiments by Chris Coyier and became the one that lasted. It grew into a major front-end publication funded by sponsorships and advertising, and over time added staff writers and editors.
Chris did not shop the site around. DigitalOcean, which had advertised on CSS-Tricks, approached him in early 2022 and the acquisition closed in March 2022. The site's front-end developer audience complemented DigitalOcean's own developer content. A later report said DigitalOcean's SEC filing put the price at about $4 million. Chris did not confirm the figure.
Chris agreed to a short consulting period to help with the handover and then focused on CodePen. DigitalOcean committed to keep investing in the site's content and community.
Lessons Chris Coyier shared
- 1.A project that is fun to write tends to outlast ideas that look more promising on paper.
- 2.Having other income alongside the site kept the stakes and stress around its future low.
- 3.Consistent blogging builds reach that can open career doors well beyond the site itself.
Paraphrased from the maker's public posts and interviews (see sources).
The maker
See the CSS-Tricks product page or Chris Coyier's full profile for everything they have built since.
Related exit stories
Same buyer, category or sale channel as CSS-Tricks.
Syntax
→ Sentry · 2023
Producing the show took a full recording day each week plus time on sponsorships and editing, so Wes and Scott lacked the time and resources for what they wanted to do. Joining Sentry, a longtime sponsor, gave them a team and freed them from selling ads.
by Scott Tolinski & Wes Bos
Starter Story
→ HubSpot Media · 2026
by Pat Walls
AllGPTs
→ Chipp · 2024
Once the custom-GPT hype faded and traffic declined, the directory and its community still needed ongoing time, and John prefers directories he can run on autopilot. He wanted it to go to someone who could invest more time in it.
by John Rush
by Bhanu Teja P
Sources
- theygotacquired.com — theygotacquired.com/content/css-tricks-acquired-by-digitalocean/
- wptavern.com — wptavern.com/podcast/21-chris-coyier-talks-about-why-he-sold-css-tricks
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
CSS-Tricks acquisition FAQ
Who bought CSS-Tricks?
CSS-Tricks was acquired by DigitalOcean in 2022 from Chris Coyier.
How much did CSS-Tricks sell for?
CSS-Tricks sold for ~$4M (reported from DigitalOcean's SEC filing; not confirmed by the seller), as publicly stated.
Why did Chris Coyier sell CSS-Tricks?
Chris wanted to give CodePen his full attention and lacked the time to scale the site further. DigitalOcean could put a whole community and content team behind it and look after it well.
How long did it take CSS-Tricks to get acquired?
CSS-Tricks was sold about 15 years after launch, through a direct sale (sold directly to a buyer, often a competitor, customer or acquirer that reached out).
What did Chris Coyier learn from selling CSS-Tricks?
A project that is fun to write tends to outlast ideas that look more promising on paper. Having other income alongside the site kept the stakes and stress around its future low.