Arvid Kahl

Co-founder of FeedbackPanda and founder of Podscan, author of Zero to Sold^{Source [2]}^{Source [12]}^{Source [17]}

BootstrappingSaaSPodcastingAudience buildingBuild in public

Unclaimed profileLast verified Oct 2, 2026

About

Arvid Kahl is a software engineer, entrepreneur and author known in the bootstrapping and build-in-public community. He co-founded FeedbackPanda with Danielle Simpson in 2017 and sold it to SureSwift Capital in 2019.^{Source [2]}^{Source [3]}^{Source [4]}

After the sale he started The Bootstrapped Founder, a blog, newsletter and weekly podcast, and self-published two books: Zero to Sold (2020) and The Embedded Entrepreneur (2021).^{Source [2]}^{Source [5]}^{Source [6]}^{Source [7]}

In 2024 he launched Podscan, a podcast monitoring and data platform that grew out of a marketing tool for his voicemail product Podline. He funded it partly with a six-figure investment from the Calm Company Fund and also runs the link-redirect service PermanentLink.^{Source [8]}^{Source [9]}^{Source [10]}^{Source [11]}

Audiohook acquired Podscan in a deal that closed on August 24, 2026. Kahl joined Audiohook to oversee the platform and his X profile now describes him as building Podscan at Audiohook in public.^{Source [12]}^{Source [13]}^{Source [1]}

Career

FeedbackPanda

2017 to 2019

The Bootstrapped Founder

2019 to now

Podscan

2024 to now

Company	Years	Role	Status
Podscan Founded the podcast monitoring platform in 2024 and sold it to Audiohook in a deal that closed in August 2026; he joined Audiohook to oversee the platform.^{Source [8]}^{Source [12]}^{Source [13]} Built Podscan as a solo founder after it started as a marketing tool for his earlier product Podline.^{Source [8]} Raised a six-figure amount from the Calm Company Fund in 2024 while keeping 100% of the equity under a structure that converts on a sale.^{Source [9]}^{Source [8]} Sold Podscan Inc. to Audiohook; the deal closed on August 24, 2026 and terms were not disclosed.^{Source [12]}^{Source [13]} Now oversees Podscan's technical transition and development inside Audiohook.^{Source [12]} Suggest a correction to Podscan	2024 to now	Founder^{Source [8]}^{Source [14]}Leads Podscan at Audiohook^{Source [12]}^{Source [13]}	Acquired
The Bootstrapped Founder Runs a blog, newsletter, weekly podcast and book business about bootstrapping, started after the FeedbackPanda sale.^{Source [2]}^{Source [7]}^{Source [5]} Self-published Zero to Sold on June 29, 2020; he reported 1,000 copies sold in the first week.^{Source [5]} Published The Embedded Entrepreneur in May 2021.^{Source [6]}^{Source [15]} Hosts The Bootstrapped Founder Podcast, a weekly show on bootstrapping and building in public.^{Source [7]} Suggest a correction to The Bootstrapped Founder	2019 to now	Founder, author and podcast host^{Source [3]}^{Source [2]}^{Source [7]}	Active
FeedbackPanda Co-founded the online-teacher feedback SaaS with Danielle Simpson in 2017 and sold it to SureSwift Capital in 2019.^{Source [3]}^{Source [4]} Built the first prototype on weekends while working as a software engineer.^{Source [3]} Grew it without funding or employees to a self-reported $55,000 in monthly recurring revenue and about 5,000 customers.^{Source [4]}^{Source [16]} Sold it to SureSwift Capital in 2019 for an undisclosed amount reported as seven figures.^{Source [4]}^{Source [16]} Suggest a correction to FeedbackPanda	2017 to 2019	Co-founder^{Source [3]}^{Source [4]}	Acquired

Company

Years

Role

Status

Podscan

Founded the podcast monitoring platform in 2024 and sold it to Audiohook in a deal that closed in August 2026; he joined Audiohook to oversee the platform.^{Source [8]}^{Source [12]}^{Source [13]}

Built Podscan as a solo founder after it started as a marketing tool for his earlier product Podline.^{Source [8]}
Raised a six-figure amount from the Calm Company Fund in 2024 while keeping 100% of the equity under a structure that converts on a sale.^{Source [9]}^{Source [8]}
Sold Podscan Inc. to Audiohook; the deal closed on August 24, 2026 and terms were not disclosed.^{Source [12]}^{Source [13]}
Now oversees Podscan's technical transition and development inside Audiohook.^{Source [12]}

Suggest a correction to Podscan

2024 to now

Founder^{Source [8]}^{Source [14]}Leads Podscan at Audiohook^{Source [12]}^{Source [13]}

Acquired

The Bootstrapped Founder

Runs a blog, newsletter, weekly podcast and book business about bootstrapping, started after the FeedbackPanda sale.^{Source [2]}^{Source [7]}^{Source [5]}

Self-published Zero to Sold on June 29, 2020; he reported 1,000 copies sold in the first week.^{Source [5]}
Published The Embedded Entrepreneur in May 2021.^{Source [6]}^{Source [15]}
Hosts The Bootstrapped Founder Podcast, a weekly show on bootstrapping and building in public.^{Source [7]}

Suggest a correction to The Bootstrapped Founder

2019 to now

Founder, author and podcast host^{Source [3]}^{Source [2]}^{Source [7]}

Active

FeedbackPanda

Co-founded the online-teacher feedback SaaS with Danielle Simpson in 2017 and sold it to SureSwift Capital in 2019.^{Source [3]}^{Source [4]}

Built the first prototype on weekends while working as a software engineer.^{Source [3]}
Grew it without funding or employees to a self-reported $55,000 in monthly recurring revenue and about 5,000 customers.^{Source [4]}^{Source [16]}
Sold it to SureSwift Capital in 2019 for an undisclosed amount reported as seven figures.^{Source [4]}^{Source [16]}

Suggest a correction to FeedbackPanda

2017 to 2019

Co-founder^{Source [3]}^{Source [4]}

Acquired

Milestones

2026-09-30Audiohook announced its acquisition of Podscan.^{Source [12]}
2026-08-24The sale of Podscan to Audiohook closed; Kahl joined Audiohook.^{Source [12]}^{Source [13]}
2024-03Raised a six-figure amount for Podscan from the Calm Company Fund.^{Source [8]}^{Source [9]}
2024Launched Podscan, which became his main focus.^{Source [8]}
2021-05-13Published The Embedded Entrepreneur.^{Source [6]}
2020-06-29Self-published Zero to Sold.^{Source [5]}
2020-01-30Released the Zero to Sold compendium.^{Source [5]}
2019-11Started The Bootstrapped Founder blog.^{Source [3]}^{Source [5]}
2019-10-18Announced the sale of FeedbackPanda to SureSwift Capital.^{Source [4]}
2017Co-founded FeedbackPanda with Danielle Simpson.^{Source [3]}

Boards, investments and other roles

Organization	Role	Years
The Bootstrapped Founder PodcastMedia	Host^{Source [7]}

Books

Zero to Sold: How to Start, Run, and Sell a Bootstrapped Business 2020^{Source [17]}^{Source [5]}
The Embedded Entrepreneur: How to Build an Audience-Driven Business 2021^{Source [15]}^{Source [6]}

Links

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Claim this profile

Sources

Arvid Kahl (@arvidkahl) X profile, X (via fxtwitter API). Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
About Me, The Bootstrapped Founder (Arvid Kahl). Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
From Founding to Exit in Two Years: The FeedbackPanda Story, The Bootstrapped Founder (Arvid Kahl), 2019-11-09. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
We sold our SaaS! (FeedbackPanda product page and post), Indie Hackers, 2019-10-18. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
How I Self-Published Zero to Sold, a Bestselling Book on Bootstrapping, The Bootstrapped Founder (Arvid Kahl), 2020-08-27. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
The Embedded Entrepreneur, Goodreads. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
The Bootstrapped Founder Podcast, The Bootstrapped Founder (Arvid Kahl). Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Arvid's Year in Review: 2024, The Bootstrapped Founder (Arvid Kahl). Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Podcast Monitoring Services Podscan Secures Early-Stage Funding From Calm., Podcast News Daily, 2024-04-09. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
PermanentLink. Links That Last., PermanentLink. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Podline: Listener voicemails, already transcribed & summarized, Podline. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Audiohook Acquires Podscan, Opens Podcast Intelligence Data to the Industry at No Cost, Podnews (Audiohook press release), 2026-09-30. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Audiohook Buys Podscan, Makes Podcast Intelligence Data Free., Inside Radio, 2026-09-30. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
About Podscan, Podscan.fm. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
The Embedded Entrepreneur: How to Build an Audience-Driven Business, Arvid Kahl. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Student feedback SaaS Feedback Panda acquired by SureSwift Capital, They Got Acquired. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Zero to Sold: How to Start, Run, and Sell a Bootstrapped Business, Arvid Kahl. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.

History

Oct 2, 2026: Profile created from public sources (Founded editors)

Compiled by Founded editors from the cited public sources. Editorial policy / Request removal