Jakob Greenfeld
@JakobGreenfeld Denmark23K followers
Physicist turned permissionless entrepreneur, co-founder of Sales.co
Sales.co, Founder Flywheel, Opportunities.so +5$90K/mo
exit story · 2021 · analytics & data
How Jakob Greenfeld Sold Product Explorer to Andrew Gazdecki (MicroAcquire) (2021)
Product Explorer was built by Jakob Greenfeld and sold to Andrew Gazdecki (MicroAcquire) in 2021.
Key facts
- Year
- 2021
- Price
- Undisclosed
- Revenue at sale
- —
- Years operated
- —
- Channel
- Direct sale
Why they sold: Greenfeld felt his data products struggled with churn and had hit a ceiling on recurring revenue, while the buyer had a clear use for it as lead generation for MicroAcquire. He also saw the sale as a chance to learn about acquisitions.
The story of Product Explorer
Product Explorer was a data product listing indie products for makers and indie investors. Jakob Greenfeld launched it in 2020 as one of a series of small data experiments, alongside Gum Spy and Newsletter Spy.
Andrew Gazdecki, founder of MicroAcquire (now Acquire.com), made an offer a few days after launch. Greenfeld declined at first because he wanted to understand what he had. Over the following months he found that customers valued the data but often had no reason to stay subscribed after one month's dataset, so revenue jumped after newsletter features but did not grow steadily.
When Gazdecki asked again, he explained that he planned to use Product Explorer as lead generation for MicroAcquire. Greenfeld agreed to sell, and MicroAcquire announced the purchase in February 2021. Gazdecki said there would be no non-compete issues, so Greenfeld kept launching products in the same space.
Lessons Jakob Greenfeld shared
- 1.Data products like this struggle with churn, because one snapshot of the data is often enough for a customer.
- 2.In an experiment, about 95% of buyers chose a one-time payment over a subscription offered at the same price.
- 3.For a first sale, dealing with a buyer you already trust lowers the risk of being taken advantage of.
Paraphrased from the maker's public posts and interviews (see sources).
The maker
See the Product Explorer product page or Jakob Greenfeld's full profile for everything they have built since.
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Sources
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
Product Explorer acquisition FAQ
Who bought Product Explorer?
Product Explorer was acquired by Andrew Gazdecki (MicroAcquire) in 2021 from Jakob Greenfeld.
How much did Product Explorer sell for?
The price was not publicly disclosed.
Why did Jakob Greenfeld sell Product Explorer?
Greenfeld felt his data products struggled with churn and had hit a ceiling on recurring revenue, while the buyer had a clear use for it as lead generation for MicroAcquire. He also saw the sale as a chance to learn about acquisitions.
How was Product Explorer sold?
Product Explorer was a direct sale: sold directly to a buyer, often a competitor, customer or acquirer that reached out.
What did Jakob Greenfeld learn from selling Product Explorer?
Data products like this struggle with churn, because one snapshot of the data is often enough for a customer. In an experiment, about 95% of buyers chose a one-time payment over a subscription offered at the same price.