3 ms·

Existence of VC money is irrelevant to 'bootstrapping'. Taking VC money is sort of the opposite of bootstrapping.

• walrus01 8y ago
  Existence of easy seed and pre-series-A funding nowadays means people don't even try to bootstrap with 50k in personal 20% APR debt. Similarly in 1998, 1999, a lot of wild dreamers with harebrained ideas got VC money pretty easily after a few PowerPoints and some bullshitting.
  • tibbon 8y ago
    Google also used a bunch of credit cards initially from what I understand. I'd rather have 20% APR, than give away 20% equity. Why? Because when the debt is paid to the credit card company they go away. The VCs will always want more and more, pushing your company faster than it should go.
    • brianwawok 8y ago
      Depends on risk profile. 30 with 3 kids and no savings? Yes please, give away some of my profits so VCs can derisk the startup. 20 and living with parents? Bootstrap away, if I fail I will be fine.
    • SimbaOnSteroids 8y ago
      IIRC the google guys had VC crawling down there back and had to tell them to back off.