ConversionXL

JANUARY 9, 2019

Goal Values assign dollar values to conversions—replacing the faulty “a conversion is a conversion” logic with estimated revenue from on-site actions. In its simplest form, the process divides the total number of goal completions by the revenue from those conversions. Thus, a form fill is worth $500.

Sales Cycle 127

Sales Cycle Bootstrapping Conversion Web 127

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Of course, if you are able to bootstrap your startup, and don’t anticipate the need for outside investors, you can technically ignore the first two points. If you can convince investors that your startup will generate a solid revenue stream, and the market won’t go away any time soon, they may see an opportunity for an ever larger return.

Exit Strategy 289

Exit Strategy Entrepreneur IPO Startup 289

Gust

APRIL 27, 2014

Unless you are bootstrapping everything, you need to have a clear plan on what networking and documents are required to get to friends and family, Angel investors, and institutional investors. Billing and revenue collection. If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. Funding process.

Startup 187

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 187

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 13, 2024

Create a detailed business plan where you must outline your financial goals, expenses, and revenue projections. Bootstrapping is one option through which you can raise money for your venture. But if bootstrapping isn’t a choice, explore fundraising options. . #4 Next, evaluate your funding options.

United States 141

United States Bootstrapping Social Media Angel Investor 141

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2011

As an example, Joel says that there is a chief revenue officer who is solely responsible for bringing in revenue to StackExchange. He is responsible for bringing in revenue from advertising and their careers offering. Fundraising: Fog Creek was bootstrapped. 29:45 minutes. Leaving Juno and Blogging.

Software Review 285

Software Review Software St. Louis API 285

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Of course, if you are able to bootstrap your startup, and don’t anticipate the need for outside investors, you can technically ignore the first two points. If you can convince investors that your startup will generate a solid revenue stream, and the market won’t go away any time soon, they may see an opportunity for an ever larger return.

Exit Strategy 264

Exit Strategy Private Equity Equity Technical Review 264

Gust

JUNE 17, 2012

For example, with any outside investment, you give up some ownership and control, and with bootstrapping your growth curve will likely be longer and more organic. Following is my prioritized larger list of sources, with some “rules of thumb” which may save you a lot of time and energy: Bootstrapping. Friends and family.

Technical Review 164

Technical Review Bootstrapping Venture Capital Incubator 164

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

The primary source of your funds should be your paying customers, i.e., your business should generate enough revenues and profits to fund the growth and expansion. Bootstrapping. I always recommend that you start with bootstrapping. These usually play a role in the very early stage of your business, primarily pre-revenue.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

The Next Web

SEPTEMBER 22, 2013

Bootstrapping can be fun, you get to iterate quickly, turn on dimes, invent new features on the fly. Dribbble is what I like to call a “boot up,” or “organic startup” – a company that lives and breathes on revenue. […] For us, getting cash flowing in sooner than later was critical to give us resources to respond to the site’s rapid growth.

Cofounder 164

Cofounder Founder Startup Bootstrapping 164

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 24, 2017

Subscription business brings recurring revenue. This allows you to enjoy a constant source of incoming revenue, as long as you’re keeping the subscribers satisfied (that is of course essential). Through customer acquisition, you’ll work to grow the revenue and then, use that revenue to cover operational costs.

Churn Rate 149

Churn Rate eCommerce Business Model Bootstrapping 149

VC Cafe

MARCH 16, 2025

Perhaps the most powerful content creation of all, which is growing in popularity is coding, catapulting companies like Lovable which hit $17M in annualised recurring revenue in February 2025, up from $7M at the end of 2024. These costs represent an ongoing tax on revenue, requiring careful consideration in business model design.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review B2C Generative AI IPO 78

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

When someone asks me for the best way to fund a startup, I always say bootstrap it, meaning fund it yourself and grow organically. Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Marty Zwilling.

Bootstrapping 278

Bootstrapping Startup Merger Salary 278

YoungUpstarts

MAY 28, 2014

In other words, you have done wonders while “bootstrapping.” ” Getting some revenue from at least 3 clients (proving that there’s value to what you’re doing) would be fantastic, but other types of traction and validation would help too. Show Capital Efficiency.

Security 200

Security Incubator Technical Review Bootstrapping 200

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 31, 2018

Here are some tips for bootstrapping your business. Write down every penny you have to invest and calculate both your expenses and expected revenue for the next six months. Based on this information, come up with contingency plans you can follow if revenue falls short. Work in a Spare Room. Develop a Budget.

Software Review 187

Software Review Cloud Social Media Bootstrapping 187

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

This essay is part of a series on alternative VC: I: Revenue-Based Investing: a new option for founders who care about control. II: Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? III: Why are Revenue-Based VCs investing in so many women and underrepresented founders? IV: Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing?

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

APRIL 29, 2013

” Easy for them to say, but what about a bootstrapped, profit-driven business? ignoring indirect costs) or saying they’ll “fix that later” by raising prices, finding other channels of revenue. Profit-seeking bootstrapped companies cannot afford those delusions. ” Here’s my way.

Bootstrapping 285

Bootstrapping Affiliate Cofounder Channel 285

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

So you’re interested in raising capital from a Revenue-Based Investor VC. A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors (“RBI”) are emerging. For background, see Revenue-Based Investing: A New Option for Founders who Care About Control. Our wheelhouse is bootstrapped (or lightly capitalized) SMB SaaS. Bigfoot Capital.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

“However, if we are to do our job well, this small market is still pretty significant in terms of potential revenue due to the nature of the industry.&# “I’ve been bootstrapping the company since its inception, and it’s really difficult to build a supply chain with limited funding,&# Lee admits.

Singapore 230

Singapore Distribution China Bootstrapping 230

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 2, 2019

Not only does the outsourcing business model improve performance and reduce a company’s overall costs – a significant appeal to bootstrapped startups – but it also gives you access to a worldwide talent pool that would otherwise be beyond your range. Inefficiencies can often cost businesses between 20-30% of their annual revenue.

Technical Review 147

Technical Review Due Diligence Technical Support Bootstrapping 147

ReadWriteStart

MAY 30, 2022

In this article, you’ll learn how bootstrapping makes you a better business – a leaner, smarter, more agile company that can roll with the punches. Bootstrapping Minimizes the Number of People Cashing in on Your Success. Bootstrapped founders don’t have these concerns. Secondly, just how badly do you need that funding?

Bootstrapping 147

Bootstrapping Startup Equity Silicon Valley 147

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 24, 2015

By bootstrapping, bartering, reducing overheads (rental and manpower), and leveraging technology (especially the web), one can start one’s own business almost on a dime without being beholden to creditors or venture capitalists. This spanned the following areas: #1 Generate Higher Revenue. Growth & Sustenance Strategies.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Software Review South Carolina Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2010

When someone asks me for the best way to fund a startup, I always say bootstrap it, meaning fund it yourself and grow organically. Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Marty Zwilling.

Bootstrapping 240

Bootstrapping Merger Salary .Net 240

YoungUpstarts

JULY 6, 2017

This strategy, known as bootstrapping, is ideally suited to businesses which don’t need a large influx of capital early on in order to finance growth and which are already generating revenues. Bootstrapping has a number of advantages compared to other fundraising strategies. Understand the Tax Code.

Syndicate 127

Syndicate Syndication Software Review Angel Investor 127

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 15, 2014

Based on the Startup Environment Index from the Kauffman Foundation and LegalZoom a while back, personal money, or bootstrapping, continues to be the primary startup funding source. At least wait until later, when you ready to scale, and have some “leverage” based on a proven business model, some real customers, and real revenue.

Bootstrapping 276

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Burn Rate 276

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2020

It’s more possible to bootstrap today than a few years ago, as the cost of entry continues to go down. The key to successful bootstrapping is to master the do-it-yourself approach, defer compensation or barter services whenever possible and become a frugal minimalist in all things requiring a cash outlay.

Hockey Stick 423

Hockey Stick Bootstrapping Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 423

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JULY 24, 2012

I bootstrapped it on my own. You’ve bootstrapped a company, so you can see all those things, and you’re skeptical of the VC side. The later the round, the higher the letter in the alphabet, the more the expectation of real revenue, real customers, real usage, real traction. Trying to learn this environment.

Silicon Valley 204

Silicon Valley Software Review Internet Technical Review 204

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 27, 2014

This was a company that had successfully bootstrapped itself to real revenues, employees and cashflow and I thought it deserved the structure of a going concern, not a flier. At first, I thought I was making a mistake.

Term Sheet 151

Term Sheet Founder Cofounder Software Review 151

Gust

JUNE 19, 2012

For example, with any outside investment, you give up some ownership and control, and with bootstrapping your growth curve will likely be longer and more organic. I’ll try to offer some guidelines to address these issues, but I generally recommend you keep the day job until your new company is producing real revenue. June 17th, 2012.

Startup 180

Startup Forecast Angel Investor Software 180

The Next Web

DECEMBER 30, 2012

Diversifying revenue streams at Wave. Wave is monetizing in a few different ways, but our core value proposition has always been based on a 100 percent free accounting application for small businesses with an offer-based revenue model. We sell online advertising services, so where we would derive revenue was always clear.

Business Model 133

Business Model Technical Review Advertising B2C 133

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 15, 2024

One of the most popular techniques for financing a business when you are starting out is bootstrapping. Business bootstrapping is the strategy where you start and grow a business using your own money or revenue from a business that you already have. Image source: Pexels Understand the landscape of business bootstrapping.

Bootstrapping 158

Bootstrapping Bankruptcy Lean Finance 158

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

Without venture capital, without external loans, I bootstrapped my business and brought it to acquisition – in a field traditionally dominated by males ( 16% of male entrepreneurs are in the tech industry, compared to 4% of females ). My advice to amplify your impact as a woman in business? First, receive.

Technical Review 370

Technical Review United States Bootstrapping Venture Capital 370

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

It’s more possible to bootstrap today than a few years ago, as the cost of entry continues to go down. The key to successful bootstrapping is to master the do-it-yourself approach, defer compensation or barter services whenever possible and become a frugal minimalist in all things requiring a cash outlay.

Equity 349

Equity Hockey Stick Bootstrapping Sweat Equity 349

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors are emerging who are using creative investing structures with some of the upside of traditional VC, but some of the downside protection of debt. I believe that Revenue-Based Investing (“RBI”) VCs are on the forefront of what will become a major segment of the venture ecosystem.

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60

Feld Thoughts

JANUARY 2, 2014

” I bootstrapped my first company and, while we did a lot of work for VCs, I liked taking money from them as “revenue” (where they paid Feld Technologies for our services) rather than as investment. Amy likes to remind me that when I was an entrepreneur, I used to regularly give talks at MIT about entrepreneurship.

San Francisco 162

San Francisco Boston Angel Investor Venture Capital 162

ConversionXL

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

For this article, we asked 14 SaaS CEOs a simple question: “How much did you spend on your MVP before you had your first dollar of revenue?”. The MVP took around four months to build, during which time the company earned no revenue. They then spent the first year qualifying the product and testing out their revenue model.

Sweat Equity 78

Sweat Equity Software Review Vesting Cofounder 78

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 16, 2016

It was a way for us to stay creative and it also brought in some revenue. The capital earned in the agency was used to bootstrap the progression of the key business we wanted to launch. When you are bootstrapping cash flow is king. The Hustle. I always encourage entrepreneurs to get creative with sourcing finance.

Greece 100

Greece United Kingdom Ukraine Philippines 100

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 9, 2019

Tech startups are, in contrast, focused on rapid growth, potential, and top-end revenue. Goal setting is essential to the success of any business, and is critical to the growth of a tech startup in the bootstrapping stage. Small businesses are, in most cases, driven by stable long-term growth, value, and profitability.

Technical Review 112

Technical Review Bootstrapping Startup Finance 112