Software Deals Business

3 Software Deals Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 10th, 2024

Think software deals are just for tech enthusiasts? Think again.

Starting a software deals business revolves around sourcing, curating, and promoting discount offers on various software products and services. The gist is simple: Partner with software vendors to get exclusive deals and share these with your targeted audience. You’re essentially the middle-man bringing value-based software solutions to businesses or individuals looking for cost-effective options.

Imagine helping startups find essential tools at a fraction of the cost, attracting a steady stream of grateful customers. And the beauty of it? You build a trusted platform where users return repeatedly.

The work involves creating and maintaining partnerships, negotiating deals, and continually updating your offers. Managing a website or app and fostering a community through content marketing adds an extra layer of engagement. It’s a business that combines relationship-building and digital marketing skills, with the reward of knowing you’re making a tech-savvy budget manageable for all.

In this list, you'll find real-world software deals business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a software deals business that makes money.

1. AppSumo ($80M/year)

Noah Kagan conceived AppSumo after being frustrated with the challenge of acquiring customers for his previous venture. Having a background in marketing at Mint.com, he noticed the potential for a service that could help web apps gain more users, especially with the rise of Dropbox and similar platforms. He created a simple landing page to collect emails and started validating the idea by connecting with companies and offering premium app deals at discounted prices.

To test the market, Noah cold-emailed the founder of imgur to negotiate a deal on their pro accounts, successfully securing an agreement to sell at a discounted rate. He then reached out to his network and obtained free ad space from Reddit to drive traffic. Along the way, he A/B tested landing pages and iteratively improved his offerings based on feedback. By securing his first 200 sales, Noah confirmed that his idea had viable demand and laid the groundwork for what would become AppSumo.

Snapshot of the Appsumo landing page fromearly days

How much money it makes: $80M/year
How much did it cost to start: $50

How Noah Kagan Grew AppSumo from $50 To An $80M/Year Business

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Read by 73 founders

2. Secret ($216K/year)

Jean-Loup Karst, the co-founder of Secret, came up with the idea for his business while running his previous startup. He realized that many entrepreneurs, including himself, struggled to find affordable software deals. Inspired by the perks programs offered to accelerators and incubators, Jean-Loup decided to create a platform that would provide exclusive deals on services and software for startups.

How much money it makes: $216K/year
How many people on the team: 0

On Creating A Website Full Of Software Deals For Startups

Secret is a platform that offers exclusive deals on services and software for startups, allowing entrepreneurs to save up to $50,000 on 70+ SaaS deals and make their businesses more profitable at 100% free, and their accelerated growth is fueled by personalized email marketing and niche forums.

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Read by 10,820 founders

3. Deal Quokka ($102K/year)

Frustrated by traditional deal platforms taking up to 50% cut without contributing much, 22-year-old Jasper Cyan launched Deal Quokka, a streamlined marketplace offering over 20 million digital resources for entrepreneurs, making $15,000 in sales within the first 36 hours.

How much money it makes: $102K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 0