The SaaS Operator Podcast

In this episode of The Bootstrapped SaaS Operator, Justin Cooke talks about building a marketplace for founders to sell their online businesses, Empire Flippers. He also talks about the difficulties for bootstrap entrepreneurs, business transparency, and chasing new ideas.

Tune in to learn more on:
~ When is the right time to start your next venture?
~ How to know if you’re scaling too slow or too quickly?
~ Acquiring the right businesses to grow your company.

Timestamps:
  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (00:11) - Who is Justin Cooke & What is Empire Flippers?
  • (01:52) - How big is Empire Flippers?
  • (02:52) - When should you chase new ideas?
  • (05:25) - When did Justin know is the right time to start WebStreet?
  • (09:00) - How to run a dual-side marketplace?
  • (11:05) - What Empire Flippers is doing differently now compared to ten years ago?
  • (13:14) - How Justin manages profitability vs growth?
  • (15:32) - How much runway do you need for a company like Empire Flippers?
  • (17:27) - What should companies look for when acquiring other businesses?
  • (20:55) - What's the average ARR multiple you can expect when buying a business in 2023?
  • (23:55) - When is the right time to buy another business?
  • (27:01) - What would Justin do differently if he could start over?
  • (29:36) - Being transparent as a business.
  • (34:07) - Outro

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Follow Justin:
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwcooke/
On X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/EmpireFlippers

Mentioned In The Episode
Empire Flippers - A marketplace for founders to sell their businesses.
WebStreet - A platform for investors to buy stakes in online businesses.
ReactSquad.io - React.js Agency for Startups.


Nikolas Chapoupis
On X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/nikolas_chap
On LinkedIn: https://de.linkedin.com/in/nikolas-chapoupis


EarlyNode
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earlynode
On X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/EarlyNode
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earlynode_crew/
On Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/earlynode
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@earlynode
On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@earlynode

Creators & Guests

Host
Nikolas Chapoupis
Founder of EarlyNode & ReactSquad.io (React Agency for SaaS Startups)

What is The SaaS Operator Podcast?

Get real stories about the birth and growth of SaaS Startups with our Host Nikolas Chapoupis (CEO @EarlyNode). Each episode gets into the trenches alongside those who were *actually* there when it happened. To reveal the full story of what's working in SaaS right now, from hiring to fundraising, marketing, and product strategy.

Brought to you by EarlyNode.com