Digital Template Sales

Andrew shares how he built a successful business creating and selling digital templates on Shopify's theme store, which he later sold for $7M.

Key Points:

• Initial Opportunity:

  • Met Shopify founders at conference in 2010 when company was small
  • Asked to create templates/themes for their platform marketplace
  • Initially hesitant but agreed despite skepticism about the model

• Business Model:

  • Created and listed multiple themes on Shopify's store
  • Generated immediate revenue:
    • Made $10-20k per month right after launch
    • Continued growing from there
  • Named the business Pixel Union

• Exit:

  • Sold for $7M total:
    • $3M upfront
    • $1.5M earn out
    • Remainder in stock of acquiring company
  • Retained 20% ownership stake
  • Continued receiving dividends post-sale

The success demonstrated the potential of creating digital assets for growing platforms, turning what seemed like a favor into a multi-million dollar exit.