Hey there 👋
Happy Monday!
A while back I asked you what matters most when looking at a deal, and 90% said audience quality, not revenue or anything else, quality! I took that seriously. We keep raising our standards on what we post so that whether it's your 1st or your 10th acquisition, you're looking at qualified newsletters, not just numbers on a page.
This week's piece keeps going on the same theme as last week. Sometimes the best deal is the one where you don't actually leave. More on that below.
Let's get into it.
Cheers,
ACQUIRE THE WEB
Find the perfect digital asset to acquire. 🌍 Website | 🗞️ Newsletter | 🧑🤝🧑 Community | 🎧 Podcast | 📱 Application
AI | 🗞️ 330,000 Subscribers | 💰 Sponsorships, Ads, Digital Product | $500 Average Monthly Revenue | Ask: $180,000 | on LetterTrader
AI | 🗞️ 75,000 Subscribers | 💰 Sponsorships, Ads | $350 Average Monthly Revenue | Ask: $25,000 | on LetterTrader
News | 🗞️ 2 Years Old | 💰 Newsletter, Display Advertising, Affiliate | $8,174 Average Monthly Revenue | Ask: $195,017 | on Empire Flippers
Sports | 🌍 3 Years Old | 💰 YouTube | $2,743 Average Monthly Revenue | Ask: $57,797 | on Empire Flippers
Travel | 🌍 8 Years Old | 💰 eCommerce, Amazon FBA | $1,196,043 Average Monthly Revenue | Ask: $8,800,000 | on Empire Flippers
Fashion | 🌍 6 Years Old | 💰 SaaS | €9,700 Average Monthly Profit | Ask: Open Offer | on DotMarket
Fencing | 🌍 12 Years Old | 💰 E-commerce | €43,162 Average Monthly Profit | Ask: Open Offer | on DotMarket
HR | 🌍 7 Years Old | 💰 Display Advertising | €38,400 Average Monthly Profit | Ask: €1,900,000 | on DotMarket
Dating | 📱 Mobile app | 💰 Subscription | $1,625 Average Monthly Revenue | Ask: $220,000 | on Microns
Gaming | 📱 Mobile app | 💰 Subscription | $342 Average Monthly Revenue | Ask: $10,000 | on Microns
NEWSLETTER GROWTH TIP
The exit that isn't an exit
Most sellers think of selling as the exit. The end. The "I'm finally done" moment. And for some deals, that's exactly what it is.
But more and more, I'm seeing buyers ask the founder to stay on. Not as a polite gesture, as part of the deal. And in a lot of cases, the seller ends up making more money by staying than they would have by walking away clean.
Here's when staying on can actually be the smarter move:
When the brand is tied to you. If your name, voice, or face is the newsletter, the buyer is paying for that as much as the list. Staying on for 6 to 12 months gives them time to transition the brand toward something less tied to your image, which protects what they bought and protects your price. If you want a full clean exit, this is the work you'd ideally do before listing, so the brand can stand on its own from day one.
When there's an earnout. A lot of deals include a chunk of the sale price tied to the newsletter hitting certain numbers after closing. If you're the one who can hit those numbers, staying on isn't just helpful, it's how you actually get paid in full.
When the buyer wants you on equity. Some buyers, especially, will offer you a small equity stake in the parent company on top of the sale price. If you believe in their bigger play, that stake can end up worth more than the cash you got upfront.
When you actually still want to do the work. This one's underrated. Some founders sell because they want resources and a team behind them, not because they're tired of the newsletter. If that's you, staying is the goal, not the compromise.
A few things to negotiate before you say yes to staying:
A clear end date so it doesn't drag on forever.
Your role in writing, defined explicitly. Are you still the voice? Co-writing? Just consulting?
What happens if you leave early, on either side? Most deals have a clawback if you walk; make sure it's reasonable.
Salary or consulting fee on top of the sale price. The work doesn't become free just because you sold the asset.
The founders who get this right walk away with more money, a softer landing, and a brand that keeps growing under someone else. The ones who don't think it through end up resenting the deal six months in.
If you sold your newsletter tomorrow, what would you do?
MEET MAZDA:
Mazda is someone I've met through a close friend, and from the first conversation I could tell he's one of the sharpest people in the room. Mazda is also the CEO of Amberd.ai.
You know that moment when someone says:
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…then suddenly three people are opening PDFs, Slack threads, Excel files, Tableau dashboards, NetSuite, and somehow nobody has the answer?
Yeah. That. (happened to me way too often…)
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less “let me circle back after checking 14 systems”
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ACQUISITION NEWS
Riverside's first move in 6 years
This week, Riverside made its first acquisition in 6 years, acqui-hiring Pipio, an AI avatar and synthetic video startup.
If you don't know Riverside, you probably know who uses it. Spotify, Apple, and Marvel all record on the platform.
They've been around since 2020 and raised over $77M, but waited 6 years to make their first move. And it's an acqui-hire for AI talent, not a flashy headline grab. The best acquisitions aren't always the biggest ones. Sometimes they're the quietest.
Congratulations to all parties involved!
Most coverage tells you what happened. Fintech Takes is the free newsletter that tells you why it matters. Each week, I break down the trends, deals, and regulatory shifts shaping the industry — minus the spin. Clear analysis, smart context, and a little humor so you actually enjoy reading it. Subscribe free.
Until next week, keep building. 💪
Important Disclaimer: Not financial or investing advice. This newsletter is strictly for information and education purposes. Do your own research and due diligence. Certain links in this newsletter are affiliate links. We believe transparency is part of our code of ethics, hence the sharing.