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Not exactly the most honest title, BigCommerce was bootstrapped until $7m in revenue. In theory, everybody bootstraps until they get funding, don't they?
by pedalpete 11y ago
Not exactly the most honest title, BigCommerce was bootstrapped until $7m in revenue.
In theory, everybody bootstraps until they get funding, don't they?
- wpietri 11y agoBootstrapping is specifically about pursuing revenue instead of investment. So no, I think many tech companies definitely don't bootstrap until they get investor money. The common model is investor money first, revenue later.
- neogodless 11y agoIs it more common? Citation requested. On the East coast, I've heard of many small businesses that self-funded (savings and/or spouse) to get started, and never took any funding. Never heard of even one incident of a small business that was invested in. Obviously it's a different world in Silicon Valley, but if we look at the nation or globe, what is more common?
- wpietri 11y agoSorry if I was unclear. When I said "the common model" I was referring to the context of the previous sentence (and also this article and this site), tech startups. I agree that most normal businesses are self-funded.
- nostrademons 11y agoThat was part of his point, right? That bootstrapping and taking funding are not mutually exclusive - you can (and often should) seek customers before funding, and then if you ever want to accelerate your growth, you can always take funding later.