Gus Mueller
@ccgus United States5.9K followers
Founder of Flying Meat, two-decade indie Mac maker of Acorn and Retrobatch
Acorn, Retrobatch, VoodooPad +1
exit story · 2013 · productivity tools
How Gus Mueller Sold VoodooPad to Plausible Labs (2013)
VoodooPad was built by Gus Mueller and sold to Plausible Labs in 2013.
Key facts
- Buyer
- Plausible Labs ↗
- Year
- 2013
- Price
- Undisclosed
- Revenue at sale
- —
- Years operated
- 10.7 years
- Channel
- Direct sale
Why they sold: Running both VoodooPad and Acorn had become too much for one developer, and VoodooPad was being neglected. Gus wanted it to keep growing with a team behind it while he focused fully on Acorn.
The story of VoodooPad
VoodooPad is a desktop wiki for the Mac that Gus Mueller started in early 2003. It was his first real project, launched his indie career with Flying Meat, and grew enough to support him and his wife. Customers used it for everything from personal notes to building websites, writing books and world-building for games.
As Flying Meat's image editor Acorn grew, keeping two major apps going alone became untenable. Gus first asked his longtime friend Mike Ash about taking over VoodooPad, and Ash suggested that his company, Plausible Labs, take it on instead.
In November 2013 Gus announced that Plausible Labs had taken over VoodooPad's development. No terms were disclosed. Gus has focused on Acorn and later Retrobatch since then.
The maker
See the VoodooPad product page or Gus Mueller's full profile for everything they have built since.
Related exit stories
Same buyer, category or sale channel as VoodooPad.
Instapaper
→ Betaworks · 2013
Instapaper had grown beyond what one person could run and needed a full-time staff, which Marco did not want to hire and lead. After more than five years, he wanted to try other apps and creative projects.
by Marco Arment
Mailbrew
→ Ev Williams · 2022
Rinaldi and co-founder Francesco Di Lorenzo decided to focus on their newer product, Typefully.
by Fabrizio Rinaldi
Churn Buster
→ Matt and Joelle Goldman (with Ken Johnson) · 2015
Andrew had been running Churn Buster as a side project while working as a CTO elsewhere, and doing both had left him burned out.
by Andrew Culver
Snappy
buyer undisclosed · 2015
Ian Landsman said Snappy was a good app but not a good business for UserScape. Its low price point needed huge customer volume, and the small team's time was better spent on its main product, HelpSpot.
by Ian Landsman
Sources
- shapeof.com — shapeof.com/archives/2013/11/a_new_home_for_voodoopad.html
- flyingmeat.com — flyingmeat.com/about/
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
VoodooPad acquisition FAQ
Who bought VoodooPad?
VoodooPad was acquired by Plausible Labs in 2013 from Gus Mueller.
How much did VoodooPad sell for?
The price was not publicly disclosed.
Why did Gus Mueller sell VoodooPad?
Running both VoodooPad and Acorn had become too much for one developer, and VoodooPad was being neglected. Gus wanted it to keep growing with a team behind it while he focused fully on Acorn.
How long did it take VoodooPad to get acquired?
VoodooPad was sold about 10.7 years after launch, through a direct sale (sold directly to a buyer, often a competitor, customer or acquirer that reached out).