Ben Tossell
@bentossell United Kingdom201K followers
Non-technical builder who sold Makerpad to Zapier and now runs Ben's Bites
Makerpad, Ben's Bites
exit story · 2021 · no-code makers
How Ben Tossell Sold Makerpad to Zapier (2021)
Makerpad was built by Ben Tossell and sold to Zapier in 2021. At the time of the sale it made ~$400K ARR (reported).
Key facts
- Buyer
- Zapier ↗
- Year
- 2021
- Price
- Undisclosed
- Revenue at sale
- ~$400K ARR (reported)
- Years operated
- 2.1 years
- Channel
- Direct sale
Why they sold: Ben said joining Zapier let the team pursue bigger plans for no-code education without worrying about month-to-month survival, and he saw it as a better path than raising venture money.
The story of Makerpad
Makerpad was a no-code education platform and community with tutorials, courses and a job board for people building products and automations with tools like Airtable, Webflow, Bubble and Zapier. Ben Tossell relaunched it as Makerpad in February 2019 after an earlier attempt called newCo, and it reached about $22K in revenue within two months, helped by a Product Hunt launch, Twitter updates and an existing newsletter.
Ben went full time in September 2019, hired a small team and shipped more than 100 tutorials, a podcast, a referral program and a community forum. By the time of the sale Makerpad reportedly had more than 10,000 members and about $400K in annual recurring revenue.
The deal started after Zapier CEO Wade Foster saw a tweet from Ben in which someone suggested a no-code company should acquire Makerpad. Foster reached out and the deal came together quickly. Zapier announced it in March 2021 as its first-ever acquisition, with terms undisclosed, and said Makerpad would run largely as a standalone unit with Ben continuing to lead it.
Lessons Ben Tossell shared
- 1.Paying customers are the best validation, so chase the first sale before polishing the product.
- 2.Get customers before worrying about scalability.
- 3.Be invested in the problem you are solving rather than in the product itself.
- 4.Work out what kind of business you actually want to run day to day, and make sure mission and vision align with a buyer.
Paraphrased from the maker's public posts and interviews (see sources).
The maker
See the Makerpad product page or Ben Tossell's full profile for everything they have built since.
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Sources
- techcrunch.com — techcrunch.com/2021/03/08/zapier-buys-no-code-focused-makerpad-in-its-first-acquisition/
- nocodeexits.substack.com — nocodeexits.substack.com/p/from-nocode-side-project-to-zapier
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
Makerpad acquisition FAQ
Who bought Makerpad?
Makerpad was acquired by Zapier in 2021 from Ben Tossell.
How much did Makerpad sell for?
The price was not publicly disclosed. At the time of the sale Makerpad made ~$400K ARR (reported).
Why did Ben Tossell sell Makerpad?
Ben said joining Zapier let the team pursue bigger plans for no-code education without worrying about month-to-month survival, and he saw it as a better path than raising venture money.
How long did it take Makerpad to get acquired?
Makerpad was sold about 2.1 years after launch, through a direct sale (sold directly to a buyer, often a competitor, customer or acquirer that reached out).
What did Ben Tossell learn from selling Makerpad?
Paying customers are the best validation, so chase the first sale before polishing the product. Get customers before worrying about scalability.