I copied a business for sale and turned it into $20K/month

Key Concepts

Copying Successful Apps: The core strategy of identifying and replicating existing, profitable business models.
Web Scraping API: A service that extracts data from websites, particularly social media platforms.
Micro Acquire (Acquire.com): An online marketplace for buying and selling businesses, used to find existing successful apps.
Credit-Based Model: A pricing structure where users purchase credits to use a service, rather than a recurring subscription.
Solopreneur: An individual who starts and runs a business on their own.
Tech Stack: The collection of technologies used to build and operate a software product.
Customer Acquisition: The process of gaining new customers.
Niche Down: Focusing on a specific market segment or area of expertise.
Reverse Engineering: Analyzing a product or system to understand its components and how it works.

Business Idea Generation: The Power of Copying

The video challenges the conventional wisdom that a successful business idea must be entirely novel. The central argument is that copying a proven, successful business model is a viable and often more effective strategy. Adrian, a solopreneur, demonstrates this by rebuilding a successful web scraping API he found listed for sale on Acquire.com, which now generates $20,000 per month. The host, Pat Walls, emphasizes that "If something is working, you have a moral obligation to copy it."

Adrian's Journey and Business Model

Adrian's background includes learning to code at App Academy, working as an engineer for three years with the goal of entrepreneurship, and then freelancing and building various products without significant success. His breakthrough came when he focused on "scrape creators" and subsequently discovered the web scraping API idea.

Business Details:

Product: A web scraping API that extracts public data from social media platforms (Instagram, YouTube, Twitter) and ad libraries (Facebook, LinkedIn).
Value Proposition: Adrian's API simplifies the complex and often unreliable process of web scraping for developers, handling infrastructure, proxy rotation, and providing reliable data.
Pricing Model: Credit-based, with no subscription.
- $10 for 5,000 credits
- $50 for 25,000 credits
- $500 for 500,000 credits
Monthly Revenue: Approximately $20,000.
Customer Base: Around 600 paying customers, with a core group of about 12 generating the majority of revenue.
API Requests: Nearly 20 million per month.
Profit Margin: Approximately 80%.

Finding and Validating the Idea

Adrian discovered the idea through a direct message on Twitter from a follower who suggested he check out a listing on Acquire.com. The listing was for a scraping API that was already generating significant revenue.

Validation Process:

Technical Feasibility: Adrian had three years of experience studying and building scraping APIs, giving him confidence in his ability to replicate the product.
Market Potential:
- The existing API was generating $30,000 in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR).
- It had been operational for three years.
- It acquired customers solely through SEO.
- It had fewer than 100 customers. Adrian calculated that with his existing Twitter presence, he could potentially reach a similar customer base even without relying solely on SEO.

Building and Launching the Product

Adrian's technical background as a Node.js developer facilitated a swift build process.

Development Steps:

Technology: Primarily Node.js (JavaScript).
Hosting: APIs hosted on a Node.js server on Render.com.
Documentation: A Notion document and a basic website.
Timeframe: The initial build took "just a couple of weeks" due to his prior experience.
First Customer: Acquired a few weeks after launching.

Customer Acquisition and Growth Strategies

While building the product was relatively straightforward, acquiring customers was a key challenge.

Growth Tactics:

Twitter Presence: Adrian actively engages on Twitter, where his content is visible to potential customers.
Accidental Discovery: His first customer found him when the CTO of a company commented on a post where Adrian had scraped their site.
Proactive Outreach: Offering free credits (e.g., "10K free credits") to individuals launching videos related to social media scraping.
Reliability and Accessibility: Adrian emphasizes the importance of his API being reliable and his personal accessibility, contrasting this with developers who are difficult to contact.

Adrian's Playbook for Replicating Success (2025 Edition)

Adrian outlines a step-by-step framework for finding and replicating successful businesses on Acquire.com:

Visit Acquire.com Marketplace: Navigate to the platform.
Filter by SaaS: Focus on Software as a Service businesses.
Filter by Asking Price: Set a minimum asking price (e.g., $300,000) or filter by Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) to identify established, profitable businesses. This ensures the idea is "pre-validated."
Identify Your Niche/Expertise: Look for businesses in areas where you have existing knowledge or skills (e.g., Adrian's focus on web scraping).
Find the Actual Website:
- Google Listing Details: Search for keywords from the listing title or description.
- Competitor Analysis: If competitors are mentioned, search for "[Competitor Name] alternative" to find their websites.
- Analyze the Site: Once found, examine the website to see if the copy and offering are similar to the listing.
Reverse Engineer Customer Acquisition: This is deemed the most crucial step.
- Analyze Website Content: Read everything on the site to understand how they acquire customers.
- Founder's Online Presence: Look for founders on Twitter, LinkedIn, podcasts, or YouTube to find discussions about their growth strategies.
Build the Product: Execute the development of your own version.
Don't Copy Verbatim: Replicate the concept and idea, not the exact wording or implementation.
Stay Focused: Avoid distractions and work on promoting or improving the product daily. The fact that the idea is already making money means execution is key.

Technical Stack and Costs

Adrian's tech stack is described as straightforward and efficient.

Tech Stack:

Backend: Node.js (JavaScript)
HTTP Requests: impit package (developed by ampify)
Proxies: Evomi, Core Residential, Webshare, Massive
Hosting: Render.com, AWS Lambda
IDE: Cursor ($20/month)
Database: Superbase
Frontend: Astro + React

Operational Costs:

Proxies: ~$1,500/month (primary expense)
Developer (Philippines): ~$500/month (for night monitoring)
Server Costs: ~$400/month

Key Arguments and Perspectives

"You don't have to come up with something new." This is the central thesis, advocating for a pragmatic approach to business building.
"If something is working, you have a moral obligation to copy it." A strong statement encouraging the replication of successful models.
"Creative edge is what separates winners from everyone else." While copying is encouraged, adding a small improvement (Adrian's API being more reliable and accessible) is crucial for differentiation.
"Stop bouncing around ideas and just pick one thing." Adrian's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, emphasizing focus and consistent execution.

Conclusion and Takeaways

Adrian's story is a powerful testament to the effectiveness of copying successful business models and executing them well. The key takeaways are:

Focus on execution over invention: Proven ideas are readily available on platforms like Acquire.com.
Validate before building: Analyze existing businesses for profitability, customer acquisition methods, and technical feasibility.
Leverage existing skills: Build upon your expertise to increase your chances of success.
Prioritize reliability and customer service: These factors can provide a competitive advantage, even when copying.
Consistency is paramount: Daily effort in building and marketing is crucial for growth.

The video concludes by promoting Starter Story Build, a program designed to help individuals launch their own apps quickly, even with limited resources, reinforcing the idea that starting and building is more important than waiting for a perfect, original idea.