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!
In most aspects of life we undertake important decisions with care, and we often must depend on others in the process. But when someone offers simple solutions to particularly difficult and complex problems we should be a bit skeptical. Hard problems are not easy to solve.
You are lazy. We all are. And understanding why might help avoid an ever-growing threat to both your personal and business success. I’m talking about…zombies.