In the traditional world of software development, "stealth mode" was once the gold standard. Founders would toil away in secret, terrified that a competitor might catch wind of their idea before launch. But the modern era of entrepreneurship has flipped this script. Today, the most successful solo founders are using a build in public strategy to generate hype, attract users, and—most importantly—catch the eye of potential acquirers. Take the case of Dawson, the founder of Earnifi, who built a million-dollar app as a solo developer and exited via a Twitter DM. By leveraging social media networking for founders, he transformed a five-hour coding project into a high-value acquisition.
The Power of Building in Public: From Zero to 10,000 Signups
The core philosophy of building in public is transparency. Instead of hiding the development process, founders share their wins, losses, and technical hurdles in real-time. For Dawson, this meant launching his Ethereum airdrop checker on Twitter with a carefully crafted viral tweet. Within just 48 hours, the project gained 10,000 organic signups. This wasn't just luck; it was the result of showing immediate value. He used a screen recording to demonstrate how the tool could find unclaimed money for users, creating a charitable loop where people wanted to retweet the tool to help their friends find "free money."
Building in public serves as a continuous marketing engine. When you share your progress on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), you aren't just looking for customers; you are building a personal brand for entrepreneurs that functions as a moat. In a crowded market, trust is the ultimate currency. By being the visible "face" of the project, you differentiate your product from faceless, corporate competitors. Dawson's obsession with quality and his visible presence in the Web3 community ensured that users trusted his platform over higher-volume, lower-quality alternatives.
Why a Personal Brand Increases Your Business Valuation
Many solo developers make the mistake of thinking their code is the only asset of value. However, when it comes to selling a solo business, the founder's influence and the community they've built are often just as valuable as the backend. A strong personal brand acts as a distribution channel that an acquirer can tap into immediately. If you have 20,000 followers who trust your technical recommendations, a company like Bankless isn't just buying your software—they are buying your authority and your audience.
For Dawson, his personal brand was built on high-quality interactions and "kitschy" social media campaigns. He ran a "25 Days of Christmas" campaign where he publicly tagged people on social media, showing them exactly how much money they were leaving on the table. This social media networking for founders created healthy community pressure. It wasn't just about the app; it was about the founder's unique way of engaging with the ecosystem. This level of engagement is what makes a startup stand out during the saas acquisition process.
The Twitter DM to Acquisition Pipeline: Networking for Exits
The most surprising part of the Earnifi story is how the acquisition began: a simple Twitter Direct Message. David Hoffman, co-founder of the massive media platform Bankless, reached out to Dawson after seeing his consistent presence and growth in the Ethereum space. This is the ultimate proof that your digital footprint is your most effective resume. When you build in public, you are essentially running a 24/7 audition for partners and acquirers.
To replicate this success, founders should focus on building relationships with "nodes" in their industry—influencers, podcasters, and other founders who have a high reach. Use tools to identify these key players and engage with their content meaningfully. For brands looking to scale their outreach to creators or partners who can amplify their "build in public" journey, platforms like Stormy AI can help source and manage UGC creators or influential partners at scale, ensuring your message reaches the right ears in the industry.
Leveraging Decentralized Social: Farcaster and Niche Authority
While Twitter remains the giant of social networking, savvy founders are moving toward decentralized platforms to build deeper, more technical authority. Dawson highlights Farcaster as a primary place for building in public today. Decentralized social media allows for more permissionless innovation and often hosts a higher concentration of builders and investors compared to mainstream platforms.
By establishing yourself on a niche platform, you become a big fish in a small pond. This makes it easier to get noticed by industry leaders who are also early adopters. Whether it's through Warpcast or specialized Discord servers, the goal of social media networking for founders is to be where the high-value conversations are happening before they hit the mainstream. This early-mover advantage can be a significant factor in a selling a solo business at a premium price.
The Role of In-Person Networking: Validating Your Digital Presence
Digital presence is powerful, but it must be validated by in-person connections. Dawson emphasizes that he became a "fiend" for attending conferences. Showing up at industry events like SaaStr or ETHGlobal allows you to put a face to the handle and solidify the trust you've built online. It also helps combat the loneliness of being a solo founder. Meeting users in person gives you direct feedback that you can’t always get through a screen.
Conferences are also prime ground for saas acquisition process discussions. Many acquisitions start as casual conversations over coffee at a dev conference. These meetups act as a filter; if you can articulate your vision and show your growth metrics to a peer in person, you are much closer to a deal than if you were just another cold email in their inbox. Combining a digital build in public strategy with a physical presence creates a multi-dimensional brand that is highly attractive to buyers.
The Playbook: 5 Steps to Selling Your Solo SaaS
If your goal is to reach a liquidity event like Dawson did, you need a clear strategy. Following a structured saas acquisition process ensures you don't leave money on the table when it's time to exit.
Step 1: Solve a High-Pain Problem
Dawson focused on Ethereum airdrops—a problem where users literally had money waiting for them but didn't know how to find it. The closer your product is to "found money" or "saved time," the easier it is to monetize. Earnifi eventually reached over $1 million in ARR by paywalling the ability to claim high-value airdrops.
Step 2: Build the "Distribution First" Brand
Don't wait until the product is perfect. Use Next.js and TypeScript to ship fast, but spend an equal amount of time on social media networking for founders. Your goal is to have an audience ready to test your MVP the second it goes live.
Step 3: Optimize for Quality and Trust
In industries like crypto or finance, trust is everything. Dawson stood out by being obsessive about the quality of notifications. Avoid spamming users. His "anti-email strategy" meant only sending notifications when a user actually had money to claim, leading to sky-high open rates.
Step 4: Engage with Potential Acquirers Early
Don't wait for a "For Sale" sign. Engage with the companies you admire. If you are building a tool in the marketing space, use tools like Stormy AI to find creators and partners who are already working with your target acquirers. Building these lateral relationships makes the eventual outreach feel natural rather than forced.
Step 5: Prepare for the Liquidity Event
Keep your books clean and your tech stack modern. Dawson used a standard stack of Node.js and React, making it easy for the Bankless team to integrate his tool into their ecosystem. When the Twitter DM finally comes, you want to be ready to move quickly.
The Post-Exit Reality: Managing the 'Dopamine Crash'
What happens after you sell? For many founders, the "dream" of unlimited free time and van life can actually lead to a "dopamine crash." Dawson moved into a Sprinter van in Colorado, skiing seven days a week, but quickly realized that total freedom can be isolating. The transition from a high-stakes build in public strategy to a quiet life of leisure is a psychological challenge that many aren't prepared for.
Most successful founders eventually return to their roots as serial entrepreneurs. Dawson is already back on Farcaster, building in public once again and contributing to open-source projects on GitHub. The lesson is clear: the skills you learn while social media networking for founders are permanent assets. Whether you are building your first app or your fifth, your ability to connect with a community will always be your greatest competitive advantage.
Conclusion: Your Network is Your Exit Strategy
Building a million-dollar business as a solo developer is no longer a pipe dream—it is a repeatable process for those who embrace transparency. By combining a build in public strategy with aggressive social media networking for founders, you create a feedback loop that drives growth, builds trust, and eventually attracts high-value acquirers. As Dawson’s journey from a five-hour hackathon project to a Bankless acquisition shows, the path to a life-changing exit starts with a single, valuable post. Stop building in the dark and start building where the world—and your future buyer—can see you.