A founder weighs bootstrapping against venture capital, arguing that success looks different depending on what you actually want. The grass isn't greener on either side, just different.
I think there's always this sort of grass is always greener sort of perspective with entrepreneurs. I talked to a lot of bootstrap founders that wish they raised venture capital a couple years ago. Still it's really great you didn't because you know your business is doing great and when you sell it it's going to be a great outcome. But they wish they went bigger. And then I talked to a lot of venture backed founders that wish they didn't raise and that they were bootstrapped. As an entrepreneur you're like never perfectly happy. And I see people quote, unquote, let's call it thinking small versus thinking big. I think it's awesome. I mean, I believe success should be defined by you. It's a cheesy quote because everyone says it, but it's true. If you want to do a one person entrepreneur thing, that's badass. Got respect for people raising like hundreds of millions of dollars and just you're climbing Mount Everest, man. Like good luck, like you're going for it. That's badass.
The Buyers Who Made the Move: What They Bought, How They Did It, and What Happened Next
