Navigating Venture Capital and Bootstrap Funding Challenges

In Episode 558, Rob Walling chats with Einar Vollset about bootstrapping versus funding and the many options that exist in between. No longer is it a decision between a bootstrapped or venture path. With their unique perspectives, Rob and Einar talk about all of the funding options that exist. They also share some things to consider when deciding whether or not to take on funding and, if you do, how much you should plan on raising.

The topics we cover

[04:24] When funding makes sense for bootstrappers

[11:54] Raising pre-revenue vs raising with revenue

[15:29] Risks of raising as a platform (e.g. Shopify) business

[20:40] Funding options available to bootstrappers

[27:57] Convertible notes & SAFE's

[29:16] How much should a bootstrapper raise?

Links from the show

• Episode 496 | "The Press Covers Exceptions, Don't Compare Yourself to Slack or Zoom"
• Episode 411 | Bootstrapping vs. Funding: 19 Questions To Ask
• Einar Vollset (@einarvollset) | Twitter

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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