The Journey

From a Sunday newsletter to closing $1M+ in deals.

What started as a weekly breakdown of five small businesses became a community, then a fund, then a firm. Every edition, every deal sourced, every lesson learned in public — documented from day one.

2023

Where it all started: a Sunday newsletter about buying small businesses.

Where it all started: a Sunday newsletter about buying small businesses.

This Is Bizness launched as a weekly breakdown of five small businesses.

Sourcely: an AI student tool acquired for $4K with $500 MRR.

FIRST ACQUISITION

Sourcely: an AI student tool acquired for $4K with $500 MRR.

Dev and his partner Elman acquired Sourcely, an AI-powered source-finding tool for students, at an 8x MRR multiple — and grew it to $4.5K MRR in five months.

A student-led fund buying businesses for under $5,000.

THE POCKET FUND

A student-led fund buying businesses for under $5,000.

Pocket Fund launched as a student initiative focused on acquisition entrepreneurship: buying, operating, and selling small online businesses.

2024

From a broken ankle to $150K: a year that changed everything.

From a broken ankle to $150K: a year that changed everything.

Sourcely grew to a $150K+ valuation in 5 months. A VC internship in SF. And a decision to go all in on building — even if it meant leaving college.

Why college is the best launchpad for your first business.

COLLEGE STARTUPS

Why college is the best launchpad for your first business.

Reduced startup costs, AI tools, and a generation-wide shift toward entrepreneurship make college the best time to build.

Breaking down a $15K micro-SaaS supporting children with autism.

Breaking down a $15K micro-SaaS supporting children with autism.

A micro-SaaS offering visual schedules and step-by-step guidance for children with autism, at a $15K asking price.

Five filters for spotting real opportunities in a sea of listings.

Five filters for spotting real opportunities in a sea of listings.

After acquiring six micro-startups, five practical strategies emerged for filtering quality deals from marketplace noise.

2025

The best acquisitions are the ones nobody else sees coming.

The best acquisitions are the ones nobody else sees coming.

An under-monetized newsletter becomes a case study in how strategic improvements can dramatically increase business value.

How a Stanford model from the 1980s became a new asset class.

How a Stanford model from the 1980s became a new asset class.

From Stanford MBA experiment to distinct asset class: the search fund model and its evolution across institutional and self-funded approaches.

2026

Five deals. Six months. $200K closed. Here is what we learned.

Five deals. Six months. $200K closed. Here is what we learned.

The team shifted from buying businesses to advising entrepreneurs on acquisitions, closing five deals totaling $200K.

From the Studio

Watch

Office

Inside the Kautilya Office

Clips from our office and events we have hosted.

Talk

SymBiz 2025 - Symbiosis, Pune

Our founder was invited to speak about micro acquisitions.

Conference

Team Kautilya at INSEAD Singapore

Engaging with top investors and searchers at Asia's largest ETA conference.

See more on YouTube

Deal breakdowns, market analyses, and the journey, documented weekly on @devlikesbizness