A facile strategy combining free radical telomerization and polycondensation to prepare hyperbranched polymers was developed. By selecting a suitable telogen and a vinyl monomer, the product obtained by telomerization could be regarded as an AB,, type monomer for preparing a hyperbranched polymer via conventional polycondensation. The principles for selecting vinyl monomers and telogens were proposed. The feed ratio of vinyl monomer to telogen was discussed in the theory. For demonstrating the strategy, methyl (meth)acrylate (MA or MMA) and 2-mercaptoethanol were used as a vinyl monomer and a telogen, respectively. The two-unit adduct of MA or MMA obtained after purifying was regarded as a model ABB' monomer. The sequential transesterification demonstrated that the carboxylate group at the terminal unit has higher reactivity than that at penultimate unit because of the different substituents at the respective a-positions, resulting in lower degree of branching (DB) of obtained polymer. As substitutes, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate and thioglycolic acid were used as a vinyl monomer and a telogen, respectively. The results showed that the hyperbranched polymer obtained by using pseudo one-pot approach had moderate DB. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46:7543-7555, 2008