Brian Dean's Startup Playbook

Brian Dean, a well-known SEO expert, has a simple startup playbook.

He builds valuable startups that larger companies with money want to acquire.

1. The 2-Step Playbook

Brian Dean is an expert SEO who uses a 2-step playbook:

1. Create Useful SEO-related Tools: He focuses on developing tools that help with search engine optimization (SEO), which is the process of improving a website's visibility on search engines like Google.

2. Get Acquired by SEMRush: He aims to sell these tools to SEMRush, the #1 company in the SEO industry.

2. Success Stories

A. Backlinko

In 2012, Brian launched Backlinko, an SEO-focused blog.

He grew it to attract 500,000 visits each month.

In January 2022, Semrush acquired Backlinko for $5 million.

B. Exploding Topics

Brian also found success with Exploding Topics, a tool that identifies rising trends.

He acquired it from Josh Howarth, who initially called it Trennd.

Semrush later purchased Exploding Topics as well.

Brian's strategy is simple: Identify companies with money to spend and create assets they lack but need.

This idea isn't unique to Brian.

3. Other Examples

A. Makerpad's Acquisition

Ben Tossell used a similar approach with Makerpad, an educational no-code app-building platform.

Zapier, a no-code software company with $310 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), acquired Makerpad because it fit well with their offerings.

Zapier had phenomenal SEO game but Makerpad's SEO and audience were a perfect-fit for it.

B. Ben's Bites Potential

Ben Tossell's new venture, Ben's Bites, focuses on AI news.

It may be positioned for future acquisition by a well-funded AI startup.

The key is to find a public company with huge amounts of money to spend and build assets that they don't have yet but would want to buy. It is a smart way to make millions.

Top Tweets of the day

1/

Platform risk is imminent.

2/

Remember this when you price your products.

You can only charge $500+ if you provide a service or have built up a reputation.

There is a reason all products are charged somewhere around $100 until they've built up enough trust with their audience.

3/

QR Codes are underrated. Covid-19 made them mainstream.

Alex Hormozi uses it in his $100M Leads Book.

They might stand out as not many people use them so its a great pattern-interrupt.

One recommended video on 7 Different SaaS Pricing Pages That Convert Well

This video covers different SaaS Pricing Pages Strategy.

Rabbit Holes

1. Cursor Tips - 7 useful tips on building with Cursor.

2. Boring Insight that will make you more money - A simple idea that changes how you do stuff.

3. A masterclass in Competitive Marketing - Business is brutal. When a competitor has a big marketing launch, attack them to ride their own wave. Oppenheimer did it with Barbie. And these guys used it to add $175,000 to their sales pipeline with just 5 days of preparation. Insane not to copy this strategy for your own business.

Until next time!

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More Startup Spells 🪄

1. How 1of10 made $1.4m from just 4,000 followers (LINK)

2. The Ultimate Guide To Social Listening (LINK)

3. Copycat Startups (The Clone Factory) (LINK)