Derrick Reimer
@derrickreimer11K followers
Founder of SavvyCal; co-founded Drip, which sold to Leadpages
SavvyCal, Drip, Codetree +2$20K MRR
exit story · 2020 · developer tools
How Derrick Reimer Sold StaticKit to Formspree (2020)
StaticKit was built by Derrick Reimer and sold to Formspree in 2020.
Key facts
- Buyer
- Formspree ↗
- Year
- 2020
- Price
- Undisclosed
- Revenue at sale
- —
- Years operated
- —
- Channel
- Direct sale
The story of StaticKit
StaticKit was a toolkit of dynamic building blocks, such as forms, for static and JAMstack sites. Derrick Reimer built it after shutting down Level, his Slack alternative, as a quick way to get a product into the market around the static-site trend. It had official integrations with hosts such as ZEIT/Vercel.
In a July 2020 interview Derrick said many StaticKit sign-ups were not ready to pay, and that the large hosting platforms showed this market needed a big free tier plus enterprise sales.
On October 6, 2020 Formspree announced that StaticKit was joining it. Formspree launched its CLI and React libraries based on StaticKit's code, kept StaticKit running until the end of that year so users could migrate, and published a migration guide. Terms were not disclosed. Derrick lists StaticKit among the products he started and sold, and he went on to focus on SavvyCal.
Lessons Derrick Reimer shared
- 1.Many people who sign up for a developer tool are not ready to pay, so treat sign-ups with caution as validation.
- 2.Developer infrastructure markets tend to need a large free tier at the bottom and enterprise sales at the top.
Paraphrased from the maker's public posts and interviews (see sources).
The maker
See the StaticKit product page or Derrick Reimer's full profile for everything they have built since.
Other exits by Derrick Reimer
Derrick Reimer was doubling down on Drip and lacked time for bigger features, and believed the product would decline if left on autopilot in a competitive market.
by Derrick Reimer
Drip
→ Leadpages · 2016
by Derrick Reimer & Rob Walling
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Sources
- formspree.io — formspree.io/blog/statickit-joins-formspree/
- startupsfortherestofus.com — startupsfortherestofus.com/episodes/episode-506-shutting-down-and-starting-up-with-derrick
- derrickreimer.com — derrickreimer.com/work
- help.formspree.io — help.formspree.io/articles/using-the-cli/migrating-from-statickit-to-formspree
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
StaticKit acquisition FAQ
Who bought StaticKit?
StaticKit was acquired by Formspree in 2020 from Derrick Reimer.
How much did StaticKit sell for?
The price was not publicly disclosed.
How was StaticKit sold?
StaticKit was a direct sale: sold directly to a buyer, often a competitor, customer or acquirer that reached out.
What did Derrick Reimer learn from selling StaticKit?
Many people who sign up for a developer tool are not ready to pay, so treat sign-ups with caution as validation. Developer infrastructure markets tend to need a large free tier at the bottom and enterprise sales at the top.