Much is written about the startup scene in the US and around the world; of how to attract and manage angel or VC investors, and when and how to take on the funding they offer. Because there is such an aura of success (perpetuated by the VC community) around just getting funded, there is abundant and readily available information.
Never before has so much leverage been available to individuals and small businesses.
Less is said about bootstrapping, no doubt because fewer people benefit from it in the early stages. But self-funded startups and solopreneurs are the way of the future. We are awash in powerful tools and no/low-cost platforms to build new business ventures on. Never before has so much leverage been available to individuals and small businesses.
My own experience tells me to take funding only when necessary, or when it also brings outside expertise or fuel to scale an already successful business; that’s rarely the case for early stage startups. I have an existing portfolio of investments (in myself and others), and I share some about the investment themes I’m currently focused on. But my intense interest here is in how industrious self-starters can transform their ideas and their lives through the democratization of technology and opportunity created by the digital revolution.
Below are some selected articles that touch on these topics. Enjoy!
Investing in Online Business – Full Guide Starting and operating, or buying and selling a business is nothing new. It has been done, in one form or another, for millennia. And, with the digital revolution, investing in online business and websites has emerged as a new asset class. The internet age has changed everything, including…
The description of the world is not the world itself. The words, numbers and symbols we use to describe concepts and experiences or even places and objects are imprecise abstractions. So how does this relate to styrax, geraniol and heliotrope, or “mixing up sensations that don’t belong together?” And what the hell does this have…
How to Start a Business With No Experience (and No Fear) If you lack knowledge and skills in the industry or area you are considering, then it’s fair to ask how to start a business with no experience. Or you might just be feeling a fear of starting a business. Either way, you are not…