I Scaled my SaaS Business to 6 Figures and Sold It: My Journey, Key Lessons, and Future Plans
A few days ago, I finalized the sale of Zeno Page Builder, a project that I had invested countless hours and a lot of heart into. It’s been an incredible journey, marked by highs and lows, growth, and invaluable lessons. Today, I want to share my experience, acknowledge some of the regrets, and talk about what I’ve learned and my aspirations moving forward.
A Brief Look at the Journey
Zeno started as a hobby project—an idea to create a user-friendly app that would empower anyone to design beautiful, high-performing pages with ease. It also provided me with valuable opportunities to improve my coding skills and deepen my understanding of development. Never something I imagined would grow into a fully-fledged business.
At the time, I was just a junior developer, uncertain if I had the skills to pull it off. The idea of building a successful product felt overwhelming, but my love for creating and the belief that I could help others kept me moving forward.
Building Zeno was a journey filled with trial and error. I poured countless days and nights into it, facing plenty of frustrations and doubts along the way. It took over a year to get the app live on BigCommerce and another month to launch on Shopify. Every milestone, no matter how small, felt like a huge achievement.
What made Zeno special wasn’t just the app itself—it was the feedback and success stories from users. Their experiences shaped the product, and knowing it made a difference for merchants motivated me to keep improving it.
After four years of persistence, learning, and moments of growth, Zeno reached six figures in annual recurring revenue (ARR). It’s a milestone I’m incredibly grateful for—one that reminds me how far a small project can go with dedication and the support of a community.
Why I Decided to Sell
Managing an app came with its share of challenges. From fixing bugs to handling downtime, responding to user queries, and constantly improving the product to stay ahead of the competition, the journey was as demanding as it was rewarding.
Selling Zeno wasn’t an easy decision. It’s hard to part with something you’ve built from scratch. But as the app grew, so did the operational demands. Balancing development, support, and marketing became increasingly complex, and I realized it was time to let someone with more resources take the reins.
Additionally, I was already managing other apps and exploring a new business idea, which made it even harder to dedicate the necessary time and focus to Zeno. Selling the app allows me to shift my energy toward these priorities and ensure Zeno continues to grow under new ownership.
Does It Afford Me a Porsche?
I usually don’t feel comfortable discussing the financial aspects of the acquisition, but I think sharing some of my perspective might be helpful. To answer the question directly—yes, the sale could technically afford me a Porsche. However, owning a luxury thing has never been a priority for me, and honestly, I don’t see it as something that would add real value to my life or align with my goals.
I see this as an opportunity to reinvest in myself and my future projects. I want to focus on personal growth, learning new skills, and experimenting with ideas that have the potential to create lasting impact. To me, this isn’t just money—it’s a resource that can open doors to new ventures and help me pursue my passion for building meaningful products.
Lessons Learned
Here are some of the key takeaways from my Zeno journey:
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Focus on User Experience: A seamless, intuitive user experience can set your product apart. Merchants appreciated Zeno’s simplicity and ease of use.
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Embrace Challenges: Every obstacle taught me something valuable. Growth often comes from the hardest moments.
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Be Open to Change: Selling a business can feel like the end, but it’s also a new beginning. Letting go can create room for even greater opportunities.
What’s Next?
With Zeno now in the hands of its new owners, I’m shifting my focus to other projects. Here’s what’s on my mind:
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Developing the New Business: Alongside my existing apps, I’m excited to invest more time in a new business idea that’s been on my mind. It’s still in the early stages, but I’m eager to see where it leads.
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Learning: Moving forward, I plan to invest time in expanding my knowledge both in development and business. I’m eager to deepen my technical skills and explore new technologies while also learning more about scaling and growing a business, so I can continue creating impactful projects.
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Building a Community: I want to share more about my entrepreneurial and development journey. A personal blog or community platform could help me connect with like-minded individuals and inspire others.
Gratitude and Excitement
I’m deeply grateful to everyone who supported Zeno Page Builder along the way. The users, the feedback, the challenges—all of it shaped the app and made this journey unforgettable. Selling Zeno is not an end but a stepping stone, and I’m excited about what’s ahead.
To fellow entrepreneurs: keep building, learning, and evolving. Every project is a stepping stone to the next great thing. Thank you for being part of this journey, and stay tuned for what’s to come!