Dan Graham Sold BuildASign to VistaPrint for $280 Million, Then Shifted to Early-Stage Investing
Updated
Updated · Entrepreneur · Jun 10
Dan Graham Sold BuildASign to VistaPrint for $280 Million, Then Shifted to Early-Stage Investing
1 articles · Updated · Entrepreneur · Jun 10
Summary
$280 million in cash from VistaPrint’s 2018 purchase of BuildASign marked Dan Graham’s exit from the startup he co-founded after first selling more than half the business to private equity in 2015.
BuildASign grew from about $250,000 in revenue over six months in 2005 to more than $3 million in 2006 and $8 million in 2007, after the founders turned rejected print-shop software into an online business.
Graham said the sale was driven partly by co-founders’ reduced day-to-day involvement and the fact that the team had bootstrapped the company, leaving much of their net worth tied to one printing business.
Since the deal, Graham has focused on angel investing, mentoring and venture roles in Austin, arguing that founders now need resilience and audience-building skills as AI, influencers and declining Google search reshape customer acquisition.
Networking remains one of his clearest lessons for young entrepreneurs: in one exercise with 20 CEOs, he said all 100 of their best hires came through relationships rather than resume searches.