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Jan 14, 2022 · 27m · startup-acquisition-stories

Startup Acquisition Stories with Daniel Ch - Founder of Simple.ink

Daniel Ch · 14m spoken Andrew Gazdecki · 9m spoken
0:00 / 0:00

gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

In this episode of SaaS Acquisition Stories, host Andrew Gazdecki speaks with founder Daniel about discovering, vetting, and acquiring the customer feedback tool Emojics on MicroAcquire, along with his strategic roadmaps for scaling the platform.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Andrew holds 36.6% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Andrew as informed peer 3.4 Guest teaching 1.3 Guest disagreement 0.0 Andrew pushing back 0.1
05100:0010:0020:000:24–2:25 · Andrew as informed peer 1/10 Daniel's Acquisition Mindset and MicroAcquire Search Andrew opens the podcast with standard welcoming questions about Daniel's motivation to buy a business. Daniel shares the backstory of building a Notion site builder and getting onto MicroAcquire.2:25–4:53 · Andrew as informed peer 2/10 Discovering and Evaluating the Emojics Platform Andrew redirects Daniel back to his specific evaluation criteria for Emojics. Daniel explains how seller transparency, low churn, and network effects convinced him to pursue the acquisition.4:53–8:12 · Andrew as informed peer 4/10 Seller Transparency and Navigating Due Diligence Daniel details his due diligence process including direct access to Stripe and ChartMogul. Andrew builds upon this by offering expert advice on how initial seller responsiveness impacts deal velocity.8:13–10:30 · Andrew as informed peer 3/10 Structuring the Deal and Assessing Valuation Daniel outlines structuring the deal as an all-cash upfront transaction using MicroAcquire's document templates. The dynamic is collaborative and informational.10:30–12:37 · Andrew as informed peer 2/10 Closing Timeline and Escrow Solution Challenges Daniel explains overcoming banking issues by using Epik escrow rather than Escrow.com. Andrew acknowledges learning about Epik's escrow service directly from Daniel's experience.12:38–15:13 · Andrew as informed peer 3/10 Future Growth Roadmaps and Distribution Strategy Daniel details his growth plans, including marketing partnerships and leveraging SEO strategies from his core company. Andrew listens attentively.15:16–17:55 · Andrew as informed peer 8/10 Andrew's Strategic Growth Recommendations for Emojics Andrew takes charge to deliver actionable growth strategies, suggesting white-label distribution based on his Bizness Apps experience, building in public, and creating vertical landing pages.17:56–22:44 · Andrew as informed peer 6/10 Goal Setting and Target Revenue Benchmarks Andrew shares his personal founder story about whiteboard goal-setting and hitting ARR milestones. Daniel shares his target of reaching $100k-$200k ARR.22:45–25:23 · Andrew as informed peer 2/10 Entrepreneurial Inspirations and Reading Recommendations Andrew asks rapid-fire closing questions about book recommendations and inspirational figures. Daniel shares his appreciation for The Power of Now and plugs his podcast.0:24–2:25 · Guest teaching 0/10 Daniel's Acquisition Mindset and MicroAcquire Search Andrew opens the podcast with standard welcoming questions about Daniel's motivation to buy a business. Daniel shares the backstory of building a Notion site builder and getting onto MicroAcquire.2:25–4:53 · Guest teaching 1/10 Discovering and Evaluating the Emojics Platform Andrew redirects Daniel back to his specific evaluation criteria for Emojics. Daniel explains how seller transparency, low churn, and network effects convinced him to pursue the acquisition.4:53–8:12 · Guest teaching 2/10 Seller Transparency and Navigating Due Diligence Daniel details his due diligence process including direct access to Stripe and ChartMogul. Andrew builds upon this by offering expert advice on how initial seller responsiveness impacts deal velocity.8:13–10:30 · Guest teaching 1/10 Structuring the Deal and Assessing Valuation Daniel outlines structuring the deal as an all-cash upfront transaction using MicroAcquire's document templates. The dynamic is collaborative and informational.10:30–12:37 · Guest teaching 3/10 Closing Timeline and Escrow Solution Challenges Daniel explains overcoming banking issues by using Epik escrow rather than Escrow.com. Andrew acknowledges learning about Epik's escrow service directly from Daniel's experience.12:38–15:13 · Guest teaching 2/10 Future Growth Roadmaps and Distribution Strategy Daniel details his growth plans, including marketing partnerships and leveraging SEO strategies from his core company. Andrew listens attentively.15:16–17:55 · Guest teaching 1/10 Andrew's Strategic Growth Recommendations for Emojics Andrew takes charge to deliver actionable growth strategies, suggesting white-label distribution based on his Bizness Apps experience, building in public, and creating vertical landing pages.17:56–22:44 · Guest teaching 1/10 Goal Setting and Target Revenue Benchmarks Andrew shares his personal founder story about whiteboard goal-setting and hitting ARR milestones. Daniel shares his target of reaching $100k-$200k ARR.22:45–25:23 · Guest teaching 1/10 Entrepreneurial Inspirations and Reading Recommendations Andrew asks rapid-fire closing questions about book recommendations and inspirational figures. Daniel shares his appreciation for The Power of Now and plugs his podcast.0:24–2:25 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Daniel's Acquisition Mindset and MicroAcquire Search Andrew opens the podcast with standard welcoming questions about Daniel's motivation to buy a business. Daniel shares the backstory of building a Notion site builder and getting onto MicroAcquire.2:25–4:53 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Discovering and Evaluating the Emojics Platform Andrew redirects Daniel back to his specific evaluation criteria for Emojics. Daniel explains how seller transparency, low churn, and network effects convinced him to pursue the acquisition.4:53–8:12 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Seller Transparency and Navigating Due Diligence Daniel details his due diligence process including direct access to Stripe and ChartMogul. Andrew builds upon this by offering expert advice on how initial seller responsiveness impacts deal velocity.8:13–10:30 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Structuring the Deal and Assessing Valuation Daniel outlines structuring the deal as an all-cash upfront transaction using MicroAcquire's document templates. The dynamic is collaborative and informational.10:30–12:37 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Closing Timeline and Escrow Solution Challenges Daniel explains overcoming banking issues by using Epik escrow rather than Escrow.com. Andrew acknowledges learning about Epik's escrow service directly from Daniel's experience.12:38–15:13 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Future Growth Roadmaps and Distribution Strategy Daniel details his growth plans, including marketing partnerships and leveraging SEO strategies from his core company. Andrew listens attentively.15:16–17:55 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Andrew's Strategic Growth Recommendations for Emojics Andrew takes charge to deliver actionable growth strategies, suggesting white-label distribution based on his Bizness Apps experience, building in public, and creating vertical landing pages.17:56–22:44 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Goal Setting and Target Revenue Benchmarks Andrew shares his personal founder story about whiteboard goal-setting and hitting ARR milestones. Daniel shares his target of reaching $100k-$200k ARR.22:45–25:23 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Entrepreneurial Inspirations and Reading Recommendations Andrew asks rapid-fire closing questions about book recommendations and inspirational figures. Daniel shares his appreciation for The Power of Now and plugs his podcast.0:24–2:25 · Andrew pushing back 0/10 Daniel's Acquisition Mindset and MicroAcquire Search Andrew opens the podcast with standard welcoming questions about Daniel's motivation to buy a business. Daniel shares the backstory of building a Notion site builder and getting onto MicroAcquire.2:25–4:53 · Andrew pushing back 1/10 Discovering and Evaluating the Emojics Platform Andrew redirects Daniel back to his specific evaluation criteria for Emojics. Daniel explains how seller transparency, low churn, and network effects convinced him to pursue the acquisition.4:53–8:12 · Andrew pushing back 0/10 Seller Transparency and Navigating Due Diligence Daniel details his due diligence process including direct access to Stripe and ChartMogul. Andrew builds upon this by offering expert advice on how initial seller responsiveness impacts deal velocity.8:13–10:30 · Andrew pushing back 0/10 Structuring the Deal and Assessing Valuation Daniel outlines structuring the deal as an all-cash upfront transaction using MicroAcquire's document templates. The dynamic is collaborative and informational.10:30–12:37 · Andrew pushing back 0/10 Closing Timeline and Escrow Solution Challenges Daniel explains overcoming banking issues by using Epik escrow rather than Escrow.com. Andrew acknowledges learning about Epik's escrow service directly from Daniel's experience.12:38–15:13 · Andrew pushing back 0/10 Future Growth Roadmaps and Distribution Strategy Daniel details his growth plans, including marketing partnerships and leveraging SEO strategies from his core company. Andrew listens attentively.15:16–17:55 · Andrew pushing back 0/10 Andrew's Strategic Growth Recommendations for Emojics Andrew takes charge to deliver actionable growth strategies, suggesting white-label distribution based on his Bizness Apps experience, building in public, and creating vertical landing pages.17:56–22:44 · Andrew pushing back 0/10 Goal Setting and Target Revenue Benchmarks Andrew shares his personal founder story about whiteboard goal-setting and hitting ARR milestones. Daniel shares his target of reaching $100k-$200k ARR.22:45–25:23 · Andrew pushing back 0/10 Entrepreneurial Inspirations and Reading Recommendations Andrew asks rapid-fire closing questions about book recommendations and inspirational figures. Daniel shares his appreciation for The Power of Now and plugs his podcast.

speaking balance: gold is Andrew, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Andrew 24.8% · guest 75.2%0:00 · Andrew 24.8% · guest 75.2%3:00 · Andrew 28.6% · guest 71.4%3:00 · Andrew 28.6% · guest 71.4%6:00 · Andrew 31.2% · guest 68.8%6:00 · Andrew 31.2% · guest 68.8%9:00 · Andrew 13.7% · guest 86.3%9:00 · Andrew 13.7% · guest 86.3%12:00 · Andrew 14.9% · guest 85.1%12:00 · Andrew 14.9% · guest 85.1%15:00 · Andrew 78.7% · guest 21.3%15:00 · Andrew 78.7% · guest 21.3%18:00 · Andrew 65% · guest 35%18:00 · Andrew 65% · guest 35%21:00 · Andrew 55.1% · guest 44.9%21:00 · Andrew 55.1% · guest 44.9%24:00 · Andrew 19.6% · guest 80.4%24:00 · Andrew 19.6% · guest 80.4%27:00 · Andrew 24.1% · guest 75.9%27:00 · Andrew 24.1% · guest 75.9%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 20:10 Daniel rejects rigid 12-month target framing

When Andrew asks where he wants the business in 12 months, Daniel pushes back on the premise, clarifying he views it as a short-to-medium term safety net rather than committing to a strict 12-month plan.

 Hardest push from Andrew ▶ 2:25 Andrew redirects back to core evaluation criteria

After Daniel wanders into his acquisition mindset and gets lost in the backstory, Andrew gently interrupts and restates the original question about what specifically made Emojics stand out among hundreds of listings.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 11:48 Daniel introduces Epik escrow solution to Andrew

Daniel educates Andrew on using Epik.com as an alternative escrow provider when Escrow.com failed with Wise accounts, leading Andrew to admit he had never heard of it and will check it out.

 Andrew holds their own ▶ 15:27 Andrew outlines agency white-label playbook

Andrew demonstrates his domain expertise in SaaS distribution by laying out concrete recommendations to white-label Emojics for web agencies and build niche vertical landing pages.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicAndrew as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementAndrew pushing backWhy
Daniel's Acquisition Mindset and MicroAcquire Search 1000 Andrew opens the podcast with standard welcoming questions about Daniel's motivation to buy a business. Daniel shares the backstory of building a Notion site builder and getting onto MicroAcquire.
Discovering and Evaluating the Emojics Platform 2101 Andrew redirects Daniel back to his specific evaluation criteria for Emojics. Daniel explains how seller transparency, low churn, and network effects convinced him to pursue the acquisition.
Seller Transparency and Navigating Due Diligence 4200 Daniel details his due diligence process including direct access to Stripe and ChartMogul. Andrew builds upon this by offering expert advice on how initial seller responsiveness impacts deal velocity.
Structuring the Deal and Assessing Valuation 3100 Daniel outlines structuring the deal as an all-cash upfront transaction using MicroAcquire's document templates. The dynamic is collaborative and informational.
Closing Timeline and Escrow Solution Challenges 2300 Daniel explains overcoming banking issues by using Epik escrow rather than Escrow.com. Andrew acknowledges learning about Epik's escrow service directly from Daniel's experience.
Future Growth Roadmaps and Distribution Strategy 3200 Daniel details his growth plans, including marketing partnerships and leveraging SEO strategies from his core company. Andrew listens attentively.
Andrew's Strategic Growth Recommendations for Emojics 8100 Andrew takes charge to deliver actionable growth strategies, suggesting white-label distribution based on his Bizness Apps experience, building in public, and creating vertical landing pages.
Goal Setting and Target Revenue Benchmarks 6100 Andrew shares his personal founder story about whiteboard goal-setting and hitting ARR milestones. Daniel shares his target of reaching $100k-$200k ARR.
Entrepreneurial Inspirations and Reading Recommendations 2100 Andrew asks rapid-fire closing questions about book recommendations and inspirational figures. Daniel shares his appreciation for The Power of Now and plugs his podcast.

Statements from this episode (9)

Assertion Supported
Andrew Gazdecki: MicroAcquire hosts between 500 and 1,000 SaaS business listings
“Cause there's, you know, 500 plus SaaS businesses on my career. I'm probably like a thousand”
Andrew Gazdecki Jan 14, 2022 ▶ 2:29
Disclosure
Daniel Ch acquires feedback and lead collection SaaS Emojics
“It's called emojics, emojics.com. It's an online feedback tool. as a customer, you embedded either on your website or in your emails and your users get a emoji scale. They use that to give you some feedback and you also do lead generation or email collection.”
Daniel Ch Jan 14, 2022 ▶ 4:14
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Daniel Ch: Emojics seller granted immediate Stripe and ChartMogul access
“What the seller did was immediately, I, so I asked for a bit of info and they've given me access to Google analytics, to chart mogul, to stripe. So I could instantly see through, through their guts, so to speak. I saw every transaction.”
Daniel Ch Jan 14, 2022 ▶ 5:30
Insight
Gazdecki: Upfront diligence data and responsiveness dramatically boost acquisition odds
“So the fact that the seller had, you know, all the information up front was responsive. Like all those things right there can dramatically increase your odds of being Acquired.”
Andrew Gazdecki Jan 14, 2022 ▶ 7:59
Disclosure
Daniel Ch: Structured Emojics Acquisition as All-Cash Upfront Deal
“And the deal was all cash upfront because let me see. It just felt right given, I think the business one was undervalued and I believe the seller believed that as well.”
Daniel Ch Jan 14, 2022 ▶ 9:19
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Daniel Ch: Escrow.com failed with Wise, so we used Epik instead
“Escrow.com wasn't working with my TransferWise, which is now called Wise US bank account. We settled for Epic. That's with a K, Epic.com. They have a registrar as well, and their escrow service worked brilliantly.”
Daniel Ch Jan 14, 2022 ▶ 11:02
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Daniel Ch: Simple.ink drives up to 400,000 monthly visitors via SEO
“In my main company, we reached three, 400,000 unique users a month through 95% SEO.”
Daniel Ch Jan 14, 2022 ▶ 14:26
Disclosure
Daniel Ch targets $100k-$200k ARR for Emojics in short to medium term
“Hence my answer is I'm looking to get it to 200 K ARR. If this person, Adit is joining me. So a hundred each or a hundred K for I'm going to say myself, but it's actually ourselves, myself and my brother, because we are partners. So either one or the two, this…”
Daniel Ch Jan 14, 2022 ▶ 21:00
Disclosure
Daniel Ch: Launching podcast to publicly share detailed acquisition metrics
“When I made this acquisition and I announced it, I mean a bit before I said, I want to make a podcast where I share Everything, all the numbers, monthly spreadsheet with revenue, number of users, CAC, LTV, whatever, even my ROI percentage. So, so how far I am …”
Daniel Ch Jan 14, 2022 ▶ 25:32
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