4 ms·

> become so successful without VC funding Does HN live in a bubble because of ycombinator where they think it's unusual for companies to be able to self start?

• hn_throwaway_99 5y ago
  It is very unusual for bootstrapped companies to hit a billion+ valuation.
  • RC_ITR 5y ago
    It is very unusual for 'tech' companies founded since 2008, but Mailchimp was a web design company founded in 2001 that stumbled upon a capital-efficient business model before they needed to raise capital. The 'unusual' part is more that a company this old and profitable has a traditional 'exit' vs. being run as a cashflow generator for the duration of the founders' lives.
    • Breza 5y ago
      This is an important distinction. Companies that never take VC money and generate profits can run indefinitely without having an exit event. If I had a steady profit stream from a company, I wouldn't necessarily want to sell.
  • lloydatkinson 5y ago
    Why do companies have to reach a billion in profit for it to be considered a tech company to you? This is the bubble.