That’s not a typo.
Today I’m excited to announce, on the heels of our rebrand and launch of Build Tools, that DeployBot is aiming to become the best solution for you to deploy your web app. To make this a reality, we’ve decided to take an investment from the best investors around: WILDBIT!
Ok, so let me explain. We didn’t take on outside investors, but instead have committed our own funds to see DeployBot flourish. Chris and I are committed, and have put our money where our mouth is. What started off as a side project, has proven to be a product that teams have come to depend on. And it has become infinitely more valuable with the launch of Build Tools.
We’re not VC. We’re better.
This is very different from what we’ve always done. We have always bootstrapped our way — adding resources and team members as the products could afford them. Our first product, Newsberry, was also started as a side project while we did consulting work. It wasn’t until its revenue grew enough to pay for a full-time developer that we moved people over to work on it full time. The same story goes for Beanstalk and Postmark. With DeployBot, Dima and Eugene initially worked on it in their free time. It was an experiment. As demand and traction grew, they both started to dedicate more time to the product.
In true Wildbit fashion, we would normally continue to bootstrap DeployBot, adding team members and marketing dollars as the product’s P/L allowed. But this time, we’ve decided to accelerate and do it differently.
It’s still very much the Wildbit way. There won’t be Ramen-eating or sleeping under the table. We will continue to build it at a sustainable pace. We’re not thinking about a 100x return (or whatever is expected nowadays), but instead thinking ahead at what we can do to build another sustainable, thriving product at Wildbit. One that will grow to support the amazing team that has taken this adventure with us for the last 15 years, and help us continue to take on new challenges.
What does $1M buy you?
We’re not building out a sales team. Instead, we’re investing heavily into the product and educating the developer community on what it means to have consistent, dependable deployments. The team will stay the same, with Dima and Artem heading Dev, Eugene on design, Shane on marketing and Matt on customer success. The funds give breathing room and the ability to devote time to growing.
Hey, is this really investing?
You may be disappointed right now because you came here looking for some big VC names. However, I want to give you a different perspective. What we’re doing is no different than VC, and if anything, it feels riskier to us. We aren’t a fund that can lose on an investment (or 20) and still be ok. A fund gambles, and expects a 50% success rate. Having bootstrapped Wildbit over the last 15 years, taking outside investment would be an even bigger gamble.
And we won’t lose. We’re certain what we’re doing will work, because our customers are telling us it is already. With our track record of building beautiful, useful products, and a team that doesn’t think anything is impossible, we’re sure this will be another win. By dedicating resources to the product, and keeping our focus on the way apps are being deployed, we’re proud to be given the opportunity to take this leap.