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There are way more women running tech startups that have VC funding than there are with bootstrapping. Really? I'm not so sure. Perhaps it is just hard to hea
by lizzy 16y ago
There are way more women running tech startups that have VC funding than there are with bootstrapping.
Really? I'm not so sure. Perhaps it is just hard to hear about the women that are bootstrapping tech companies. Companies that are being bootstrapped typically are pre-traction, and have not received the buzz in the tech media that comes with raising a funding round.
- jdp23 16y agoindeed. conider this: - for the last several years women are lunching companies at twice the rate of men http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704688604575125543191609632.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870468860457512... - only 8% of founders in startups that get VC funding are women -- http://www.blackweb20.com/2010/08/10/women-only-8-of-internet-start-up-founders/ http://www.blackweb20.com/2010/08/10/women-only-8-of-interne...
- ahoyhere 16y agoWomen aren't launching tech/web/software companies at twice the rate of men, so that's irrelevant. Few other fields do VC the way tech/web/software does.
- jdp23 16y agoyou're saying that the way tech/web/software does VC has a huge negative impact on women founders. why do you think that's irrelevant?
- ahoyhere 16y agoCorrelation, causation, everybody's heard that old saw. I certainly didn't say what you claim I said. What I said was: Few other fields do VC the way this one does. By which I mean, most fields don't do VC. At all. VC is almost purely a tech/bio/med thing. Most small businesses - which is what startups are, by the way - take loans. That's how it usually works.
- ahoyhere 16y agoThere are lots of bootstrapped companies that are not "pre-traction," and, in fact, making hundreds of thousands of dollars (or millions). You'd be very surprised. The "startup" press (including HN) is a real echochamber, and this lack of awareness about bootstrapping is one of the side effects. Check out my speaker list at http://schnitzelconf.com http://schnitzelconf.com. That's why I asked everyone I knew - and asked them to ask everyone they knew. I have my feet planted very high on the hierarchy of "famous devs" in more than one circle, so my reach is greater than the average joe. In addition to browsing every women entrepreneur's directory I could find. Including http://startupprincess.com http://startupprincess.com. No joy. Nary a female product bootstrapper around. Except the lady who's part of the team at Mite.
- marilyn 16y agoI'm a pre-traction bootstrapping lady. Pleasure to meet you.
- ahoyhere 16y agoHi Marilyn. Awesome. But by "pre-traction" are you referring to List Central? Because, by my definition, that isn't a product. Bootstrapping to me means you have to charge. It's not that hard to find women heading up traditional web 2.0 properties, like social networks and social media tools (that don't charge).
- lizzy 16y agoTotally get your definition of bootstrapping. But it is also in common usage in a much looser sense -- at least i hear it used that way quite a lot! Good luck Marilyn!
- ahoyhere 16y agoYou're absolutely right, which is why I used all those "my opinion" etc. qualifiers :) Trying to not be a douchebag.
- 16y ago