From a Learning Project to a SaaS Acquisition

<p>Ethan Roberts turned market research into PlanEase, a B2B SaaS for professional wedding planners that he later sold through <a href="https://acquire.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Acquire.com</a>.</p><p><br></p><p>He found the opportunity in a clear market gap: powerful tools were expensive, while cheaper options lacked important features. Facebook Groups, cold email, and word of mouth helped turn the learning project into a real business.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, Ethan shares why he decided to sell, how he separated buyer interest from real intent, and what he learned from preparing the business for acquisition.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>You&#39;ll hear:</strong></p><ul><li>How market research exposed a gap in wedding planning software</li><li>How organic outreach and word of mouth turned a learning project into a real SaaS business</li><li>How buyer intent, due diligence, and roadmap alignment shaped the acquisition</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>3 Lessons from PlanEase:</strong></p><ol><li>Start With Real Demand: Build around a problem customers already feel.</li><li>Interest Is Not Intent: An LOI is a stronger buying signal.</li><li>Prepare Early: Organized data makes due diligence easier.</li></ol><p><br></p><p>For founders, this episode shows how a learning project can become a sellable SaaS business when real demand shapes the product from the start.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Follow the Guest:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanroberts21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">LinkedIn</a></p><p><a href="https://planease.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">PlanEase</a></p>