Live data from Hacker News

Balsamiq hits $100,000 in revenue

balsamiq.com

21–30 of 73 posts

Re: Balsamiq hits $100,000 in revenue

#21
post #2

Regarding "what if you get hit by a bus" question from potential "big license buyer", you could offer to put the source code in escrow so that they can have it if something goes very wrong. Comunque, congratulazioni:-)

He needs to get some users to do the support for him via forums etc.

If he can build a community of "experts" that give advice (think rails or django here) regularly and help out new users he can answer this question by pointing to the "exceptional community that exists to help".

Re: Balsamiq hits $100,000 in revenue

#23
post #2

Regarding "what if you get hit by a bus" question from potential "big license buyer", you could offer to put the source code in escrow so that they can have it if something goes very wrong. Comunque, congratulazioni:-)

He needs to get some users to do the support for him via forums etc. If he can build a community of "experts" that give advice (think rails or django here) regularly and help out new users he can answer this question by pointing to the "exceptional community that exists to help".

Hi there, thanks for the feedback. Luckily it's happening, check out http://www.getsatisfaction.com/balsamiq

Re: Balsamiq hits $100,000 in revenue

#24
Good grief man, I was originally going to post that although this is wonderful, your recent downward trend is rather concerning until I realized you had included November numbers! :-)

It might be a good move to be sure your graphs all report the same information for easy reading, especially when observing trends... either drop the current month, or few a per capita month trend.

Regardless, you certainly are an inspiration, and I wish you continued success! As someone that just needs to design with photoshop and can't work in pen and paper, I'm considering purchasing balsamiq in the future. (It's a little steep for me now) Keep up the good work!

Re: Balsamiq hits $100,000 in revenue

#25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He needs to get some users to do the support for him via forums etc. If he can build a community of "experts" that give advice (think rails or django here) regularly and help out new users he can answer this question by pointing to the "exceptional community that exists to help".

Hi there, thanks for the feedback. Luckily it's happening, check out http://www.getsatisfaction.com/balsamiq

Good stuff!

Re: Balsamiq hits $100,000 in revenue

#26
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah I think he is starting to miss the point, since he is starting to think of himself as a small business and not a start up. $100K on the startup scale is nothing

Not nothing, but not sitting on doves. This use of polarization does not add much. It now appears that his startup is now a lifestyle business, a shift worth congratulating and celebrating. Celebrate each success, and when the party is over, dust off your shoulders and get back to work. But you have to make sure to celebrate, for the sake of your own motivation. (Well, you may not need to, but in general, "one" shoul…

100%. Work without the moments of victory is what I like to call torture.

Re: Balsamiq hits $100,000 in revenue

#28
post #18

Single founder + non-startup hub + non-web2.0-buzzworthy product == everything you're told not to do. I've said this before, but the biggest takeaway from the balsamiq story seems to be: put your head down and focus on making a great product, everything else will follow.

I think the important criteria it takes to build a successful startup:

  1. Make something people
  2. Lots of hard work
sometimes gets lost within the criteria investors (e.g. YC) look for before funding a startup.
Post reply on HN