They Got Acquired - From side gig to selling to Automattic

December 12, 2023
​Read on web​

This team found early traction with their software, but struggled with something that challenges many founders...

The best way to monetize.

They worked on what would become WPScan for years as a side gig, from 2011 until 2018, when they went all-in on the company.

Ryan Dewhurst and his co-founders tried monetizing in various ways over the years, and along the way, their free scanning tool became popular in the WordPress community, earning them an audience of “hundreds of thousands” of free users.

WordPress parent company Automattic signed on as a sponsor, and eventually that led to an acquisition in 2021.

Here’s more on why Automattic bought WPScan:

​This WordPress security tool was a side business for years, before selling to Automattic​

Need help choosing a broker you can trust?

Did you know we offer a free service helping founders find a broker?

Here's how it works:

1) You tell us about your business via this quick form.

2) We look through our short list of vetted brokers to identify those who have experience selling your type of company and who represent sellers of your size.

3) We introduce you so you have a warm intro. Ta-da!

Over the last 1.5 years, we've quietly referred hundreds of founders to brokers who can help them.

Here's what one of those founders said after he sold his business using the broker we recommended:

– Terrell Johnson, who sold Half Marathon Guide in 2022

Worry it's too early to connect with a broker?

The best brokers are invested in helping clients work toward a sale, even if it's not for a year or two.

When you work with them in advance, they can help you identify levers to pull to increase the value of your business, so you can sell for more.

The moral of this story: Find a broker you like early, and work with them toward your ideal sale.

Behind the business (of TGA)

We're deep into building our data product featuring buyers and deals, which we're planning to launch in beta in January.

We wanted a slightly different logo for the data product. Here's what we came up with:

The interesting part though, is how we got there.

I asked our designer, Mallory, to come up with some options, including one where "data" was to the right of our horizontal logo, so it was all on one line.

She came back with a deck that explained our options, plus why what I'd suggested wouldn't work well.

With her permission, I'm sharing that deck with you. Not only did I learn a lot about design from reviewing it, I also learned how to make a compelling case for the design that's best.

Mallory didn't just use the deck to show me what she thought we should do, she also explained WHY, walking me through her thought process for developing the sub-brand logo.

Have a look:

See you next time,

Lexi Grant
Founder & CEO
​They Got Acquired​

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P.S. I'm working on a Year in Review post like I did last year​.

(I might also turn it into a podcast episode.)

Anything in particular you're curious to hear about? Press reply and let me know.