Ep 407 Bootstrapping His Way to $23 Million Exit with Lloyed Lobo
Sep 15, 2023
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Lloyed Lobo, co-founder of Boast, discusses bootstrapping their way to a $23 million exit. Topics include: simplifying the process of applying for research and development tax credits, building influence through reciprocity, choosing growth equity funding over venture capital, negotiating deal terms and valuation, the challenges of selling equity, personal transformation, the power of community, and the importance of giving on social media.
Building relationships and generating demand through cold-calling and hosting events was crucial for the success of Boast.ai.
Creating an environment that supports well-being and practicing self-care is essential for personal and professional growth.
Having a personal definition of success and aligning values with co-founders helps in avoiding conflicts and ensuring the company's growth aligns with personal aspirations.
Deep dives
The Journey of Bost.ai: Bootstrapping to a $23 Million Exit
Lloyd Lobo, co-founder of Bost.ai, shares the story of how they created a software application to simplify the process of applying for R&D tax credits. They started by cold-calling potential customers and hosting events to build relationships and generate demand. They manually collected and filed the tax credit data for their customers, ensuring faster payouts and minimal audit risk. As their business grew, they secured a credit facility and incorporated AI into their platform, automating the process and providing analytics to help businesses accelerate their R&D. They eventually sold the majority of the business for $23 million, reinvesting the capital to fuel future growth.
The Challenges of Transitioning from Startup to Navy
After the successful exit, Lloyd Lobo encountered new challenges. He struggled with transitioning from a startup mindset to a corporate one, resisting processes and hiring executives. The stress and attachment to the company led to personal struggles, including weight gain and depression. However, he eventually realized the need for self-care and took a step back to reflect. Through exercise and a supportive environment, he found renewed focus and began transforming his mindset and well-being.
Lessons Learned: The Importance of Environment and Prioritizing Life
Lloyd Lobo emphasizes the significance of environment in shaping one's mindset and well-being. The pressure and expectations in Silicon Valley contributed to his insufferable behavior and dissatisfaction. However, his wife's interventions and the guidance from mentors prompted him to reevaluate his priorities. He learned the importance of self-care and not being tied exclusively to work. Embracing a positive mindset, he embarked on a fitness journey, making physical and mental transformations. Lobo highlights the need to find balance between personal life and business, and to cultivate an environment that supports well-being.
The importance of personal definition of success and alignment of values
In the podcast episode, the speaker emphasizes the significance of having a personal definition of success and aligning values with co-founders when building a company. He shares his own experience of realizing the importance of defining success and having clarity on the kind of company he wanted to work for. By writing down personal goals and aligning values, founders can avoid potential conflicts and ensure that the company's growth aligns with their personal aspirations.
The power of community in building iconic brands
Another major insight from the podcast episode is the value of building a community when growing a brand. The speaker highlights the role of community in the success of their own company and the positive impact it had on their growth. They discuss the significance of grassroots movements, word-of-mouth marketing, and the long-lasting impact of community-led growth. The speaker also shares how his own mental health journey and the support of the community helped him during challenging times. He emphasizes the importance of putting positive energy into the world, helping others, and developing genuine connections within a community.
In 2017 Lloyed Lobo and his partner, Alex Popa, founded Boast, a software application designed to simplify the process of applying for research and development tax credits. The bootstrapped company struck a chord with customers that found the process of applying for R&D tax credits cumbersome. By 2020 Lobo and Popa had built Boast to more than $5 million in revenue when they agreed to a $23 million majority recapitalization from Radian Capital.
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