Tony Dinh
@tdinh_me205K followers
Vietnamese indie hacker behind TypingMind, DevUtils, and exits Black Magic and Xnapper
TypingMind, DevUtils, Black Magic +3$142K/mo
exit story · 2024 · mac & desktop app makers
How Tony Dinh Sold Xnapper to Brian Shin (2024)
Xnapper was built by Tony Dinh and sold to Brian Shin in 2024 for $150K ($100K upfront + $50K via revenue share). At the time of the sale it made ~$4K/month.
Key facts
- Buyer
- Brian Shin
- Year
- 2024
- Price
- $150K ($100K upfront + $50K via revenue share)
- Revenue at sale
- ~$4K/month
- Years operated
- 1.5 years
- Channel
- Direct sale
Why they sold: With TypingMind making $40K+ a month, Tony Dinh had little time or motivation left for Xnapper and felt that leaving it on autopilot wasted its potential.
The story of Xnapper
Xnapper is a macOS screenshot app that makes screenshots look polished. Tony Dinh built and launched it in 2022 as a one-time-purchase app, and it earned about $4K a month.
In early 2024 Dinh tweeted that Xnapper was for sale, sharing a fact sheet spreadsheet, and listed it on Acquire.com around the same time. Brian Shin found it through the tweet. He sent a letter of intent the day after their video call: $150K in total, with $100K upfront and $50K paid monthly through a revenue share. The revenue share was meant to allow for revenue that had depended on Dinh's Twitter audience. Dinh accepted the next day, then turned down a later $169K offer that came through Acquire.com.
Due diligence and the purchase agreement took only a few days, and the deal was paid through Escrow.com, with the two sides splitting the fee. Dinh announced the sale in March 2024. It was his second exit, after Black Magic ($128K), and he went on to focus on TypingMind.
Lessons Tony Dinh shared
- 1.Having an audience makes it much easier to find a buyer.
- 2.Preparing a fact sheet and an asset-transfer checklist in advance speeds up the deal.
- 3.A fast, responsive buyer with a good-enough offer can be worth more than waiting for a higher bid.
- 4.Marketplace success fees (Acquire.com's 4%) can be significant compared with closing a direct deal through escrow.
Paraphrased from the maker's public posts and interviews (see sources).
The maker
See the Xnapper product page or Tony Dinh's full profile for everything they have built since.
Other exits by Tony Dinh
Twitter's new API pricing, said to start at $42K a month, made the business unviable overnight and access could be cut at any moment. Dinh concluded that selling was the only responsible way to keep the product alive for customers.
by Tony Dinh
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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
Xnapper acquisition FAQ
Who bought Xnapper?
Xnapper was acquired by Brian Shin in 2024 from Tony Dinh.
How much did Xnapper sell for?
Xnapper sold for $150K ($100K upfront + $50K via revenue share), as publicly stated. At the time of the sale it made ~$4K/month.
Why did Tony Dinh sell Xnapper?
With TypingMind making $40K+ a month, Tony Dinh had little time or motivation left for Xnapper and felt that leaving it on autopilot wasted its potential.
How long did it take Xnapper to get acquired?
Xnapper was sold about 1.5 years after launch, through a direct sale (sold directly to a buyer, often a competitor, customer or acquirer that reached out).
What did Tony Dinh learn from selling Xnapper?
Having an audience makes it much easier to find a buyer. Preparing a fact sheet and an asset-transfer checklist in advance speeds up the deal.