They Got Acquired - He dogfooded it

January 3, 2023
​Read on web​

E-commerce companies are often operated by small teams, who are responsible for everything from product to marketing to customer service.

That challenge is what led Michael Dash to start ChannelReply, a SaaS (software as a service) company that helps online sellers manage messages and orders a variety of platforms.

After six years, the company reeled in 7 figures of ARR (annual recurring revenue) before selling to e-commerce tech firm Threecolts in 2022 for low-8 figures, according to Dash.

Dash’s biggest hurdle? Scaling while bootstrapped. To keep overhead low, he kept the team lean, and focused on creating integrations that enabled ChannelReply to find and capture more e-commerce customers.

“We leveraged integrations as our growth mechanism,” Dash said. “By integrating with the largest marketplaces and help desks in the world, they promoted our product for us."

Here's more on how Dash built and sold ChannelReply 👇

​He ‘dogfooded’ a SaaS for his lean e-commerce business​

Sponsored by

A private peer group for founders with $2M+ in annual revenue

Imagine having a group of fellow founders to lean on as you build your company, friends who are going through similar challenges.

A place where you can openly discuss sensitive topics like how much salary to pay yourself or how to be happy even when things are chaotic.

That’s Hampton: a new community that puts high-earning founders into small groups to meet with one another and an executive coach.

It’s highly vetted, only for leaders of fast-growing, tech-savvy startups with at least $2M in annual revenue. And it’s already full of unapologetically ambitious entrepreneurs.

When you apply, tell them you heard about it from They Got Acquired.

Behind the business

I always enjoy reading end-of-year reviews from other business owners: seeing what worked for them, what didn't, and what they're most excited about going forward.

My favorites are the ones that serve as both a professional and a personal retrospective, because why bother building a business if it doesn't also support your personal goals?

I didn't have the energy to write a look-back post this year. For the first time I can remember, I feel depleted going into the New Year, rather than energized. We've had (minor) illness after illness (covid, colds, sinus infections, ear infections, etc.) and the kids have been home for weeks this fall as a result, so it's been tough to make space for thinking and planning.

I am hopeful for a healthy and focused January, and I'm working on an annual review ahead of February 7, 2023, which will mark our one-year anniversary of launching They Got Acquired.

Here are a few annual reviews I enjoyed reading from fellow entrepreneurs:

🥂 Ben Collins, who teaches Google Sheets (my spouse!)

🥂 Simon Owens, who writes about the business of media​

🥂 Marie Poulin of Notion Mastery​

🥂 Mario Gabriele of The Generalist​

If you wrote your own review, I'd love to read it. Press reply and send it my way.

See you next time,

Lexi Grant
Founder & CEO
​They Got Acquired​
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P.S. I joined Hampton (see sponsor note above) as my mastermind for this year. Already impressed by the caliber of the group. Hope to see you there!

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Our mission is to redefine startup success by showcasing companies that sell for $100K-$50M. Learn more about us or follow us on Twitter.

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