Pat Walls
@thepatwalls United States143K followers
Founder of Starter Story, the founder case-study brand acquired by HubSpot in 2026
Starter Story, Starter Story Build$1M/yr
exit story · 2026 · creators & writers
How Pat Walls Sold Starter Story to HubSpot Media (2026)
Starter Story was built by Pat Walls and sold to HubSpot Media in 2026. At the time of the sale it made Seven-figure annual revenue (per Adweek).
Key facts
- Buyer
- HubSpot Media ↗
- Year
- 2026
- Price
- Undisclosed
- Revenue at sale
- Seven-figure annual revenue (per Adweek)
- Years operated
- 9 years
- Channel
- Direct sale
The story of Starter Story
Pat Walls started Starter Story in 2017, interviewing founders about how they built their businesses, partly as a way to find his own next startup idea. It grew through Reddit and SEO-driven case-study and idea databases, a premium membership, a newsletter and later a YouTube channel with more than 800,000 subscribers.
Over time the business moved away from advertising toward higher-priced educational products and bootcamps, and it reached seven-figure annual revenue.
In February 2026 HubSpot Media announced it was acquiring Starter Story as part of its strategy of investing in trusted media brands that reach early-stage founders. The terms were not disclosed, and Starter Story continues under its own brand.
The maker
See the Starter Story product page or Pat Walls's full profile for everything they have built since.
Related exit stories
Same buyer, category or sale channel as Starter Story.
Syntax
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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.
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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.
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Podscan
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Arvid Kahl said Audiohook had already been a close partner and customer, and that joining it gave Podscan resources to build the roadmap much faster than he could alone.
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Smart Passive Income
→ Liz Wilcox · 2026
Pat felt pulled in two directions as his Pokémon media, storytelling and family-focused projects became a new calling. He wanted a buyer who understood the brand and could give its audience the attention it deserved.
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Sources
- blog.hubspot.com — blog.hubspot.com/marketing/hubspot-starter-story-acquisition
- adweek.com — adweek.com/media/hubspot-media-acquires-starter-story-youtube/
- simonowens.substack.com — simonowens.substack.com/p/how-starter-story-grew-from-a-side
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
Starter Story acquisition FAQ
Who bought Starter Story?
Starter Story was acquired by HubSpot Media in 2026 from Pat Walls.
How much did Starter Story sell for?
The price was not publicly disclosed. At the time of the sale Starter Story made Seven-figure annual revenue (per Adweek).
How long did it take Starter Story to get acquired?
Starter Story was sold about 9 years after launch, through a direct sale (sold directly to a buyer, often a competitor, customer or acquirer that reached out).