<description>&lt;div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW92784572 BCX0"&gt; &lt;p class="Paragraph SCXW92784572 BCX0"&gt;&lt;span class= "TextRun SCXW92784572 BCX0" lang="EN-CA" xml:lang="EN-CA" data-contrast="auto"&gt;&lt;span class="NormalTextRun SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="font-claude-response-body" data-ccp-parastyle-defn= "{"ObjectId":"679f3b2c-153b-5071-bf1d-4b0991a9f682|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Times New Roman",469777842,"Times New Roman",469777843,"Times New Roman",469777844,"Times New Roman",201341986,"1",469769226,"Times New Roman",268442635,"24",469775450,"font-claude-response-body",201340122,"2",134233614,"true",469778129,"font-claude-response-body",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",134233118,"true",134233117,"true",469778324,"Normal"]}"&gt; David Sinkinson and his brother Chris built &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle= "font-claude-response-body"&gt;AppArmor&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle= "font-claude-response-body"&gt; over eleven years without taking a single dollar from outside investors. They bootstrapped it by running side businesses, plowing the profits back in, and staying lean through long sales cycles and compliance-heavy buyers. By the time they were ready to sell, they had over 250 universities on the platform and &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle= "font-claude-response-body"&gt;roughly $6 million&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle= "font-claude-response-body"&gt; in annual recurring revenue — profitable, with no cap table to split with anyone.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="EOP Selected SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-props= "{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"201341983":0,"335559740":240}"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW92784572 BCX0"&gt; &lt;p class="Paragraph SCXW92784572 BCX0"&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle= "font-claude-response-body"&gt;Then an acquirer asked them a simple question, and they answered it. That answer nearly cost them $20 million.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="EOP Selected SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-props= "{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"201341983":0,"335559740":240}"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW92784572 BCX0"&gt; &lt;p class="Paragraph SCXW92784572 BCX0"&gt;&lt;span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle= "font-claude-response-body"&gt;Recorded live at the Value Builder Summit, this is David Sinkinson's second appearance on Built to Sell Radio. This time he goes beyond the mechanics of the deal — into the surprising struggles he faced after the sale, and a take on employee equity that is going to challenge what most founders believe.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="EOP Selected SCXW92784572 BCX0" data-ccp-props= "{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"201341983":0,"335559740":240}"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt;</description>

Built to Sell Radio

John Warrillow

Ep 538 How 2 Brothers Bootstrapped AppArmor to a $40M Exit — The Answer That Almost Cost Them $20M

MAR 20, 202671 MIN
Built to Sell Radio

Ep 538 How 2 Brothers Bootstrapped AppArmor to a $40M Exit — The Answer That Almost Cost Them $20M

MAR 20, 202671 MIN

Description

David Sinkinson and his brother Chris built AppArmor over eleven years without taking a single dollar from outside investors. They bootstrapped it by running side businesses, plowing the profits back in, and staying lean through long sales cycles and compliance-heavy buyers. By the time they were ready to sell, they had over 250 universities on the platform and roughly $6 million in annual recurring revenue — profitable, with no cap table to split with anyone. Then an acquirer asked them a simple question, and they answered it. That answer nearly cost them $20 million. Recorded live at the Value Builder Summit, this is David Sinkinson's second appearance on Built to Sell Radio. This time he goes beyond the mechanics of the deal — into the surprising struggles he faced after the sale, and a take on employee equity that is going to challenge what most founders believe.