Here at Toptal we were boot strapped for more than a year before taking any money from a16z and others. It not only helps funding, it also helps the core of you

Here at Toptal we were boot strapped for more than a year before taking any money from a16z and others. It not only helps funding, it also helps the core of your company run at a fundamental level; seeing every operation through the lens of profit vs. loss which most (purely) funded VC companies don't grasp very well at all. It's extremely important.