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Here’s what I’m thinking about…
Somewhere along the way, we started treating bootstrapped founders like second-class citizens.
Like if you didn’t raise venture capital, you weren’t a “real” startup.
Like you were trying, but hadn’t been “chosen.”
I used to believe that, too.
Until we built Tiny; zero outside capital and it quietly became a $300M+ revenue empire.
No unicorn chase.
No pitch decks.
No cap tables that look like spreadsheets from hell.
Just profitable, simple, useful businesses.
Let me get this out of the way:
I’m not anti–venture capital.
VC works beautifully; for a very specific kind of company:
But most startups don’t need that.
They don’t have a capital constraint. They have a discipline constraint.
Bootstrappers operate differently because they have to.
Every dollar must stretch.
Every hire must count.
You don’t have a bridge round; you have a brick wall.
VC teaches you to burn.
Bootstrapping teaches you to build.
People think Tiny started with some big grand plan.
It didn’t.
I was running MetaLab; a design agency we started from our apartment in Victoria.
No investors. No seed round.
Just two guys and some PSD files.
We bootstrapped MetaLab to millions in revenue.
Then we used the profits to build or buy other companies.
That’s it.
No magic.
Over the years, we rolled that cash into:
That’s the dirty secret:
You can build great companies without great funding.
When you raise venture capital, you’re renting a boss.
The moment that wire hits your account, you’re not building a company anymore—you’re managing expectations.
I’ve seen it firsthand:
Meanwhile, our companies:
That’s what bootstrapping buys you: freedom.
Here’s the typical venture arc:
Sometimes it works.
But more often than not, it’s a treadmill powered by hope and spreadsheets.
I’ve seen founders raise $5M, then $20M, then $50M; only to sell for $10M and walk away with nothing.
Raising capital makes you feel smart.
Bootstrapping makes you actually smart.
When you bootstrap, you’re forced to:
We didn’t raise money for Dribbble.
So we turned it into a real business.
We built Pro accounts, added hiring tools, launched job boards.
Result: 8-figure revenue. Profitable. Independent.
No runway. No 18-month lifelines.
Just a machine that prints cash and gets better every year.
Wrong.
You just build differently.
You don’t need to be in every market.
You don’t need 10x growth.
You need:
Take AeroPress.
It’s not a rocket ship.
It’s a niche product that became a global obsession; slowly.
No ads. No viral loops.
Just a great product, a cult following, and cash in the bank.
Some of the weirdest, most creative companies I’ve ever seen were bootstrapped.
Why?
Because when you don’t have to pitch investors, you can build for fun.
For weirdos. For niches. For quality.
VCs want “mass adoption.”
Bootstrappers want product-market delight.
Our best products came from someone on the team saying:
“I wish something like this existed.”
That’s the spark.
Then you build it.
Then you charge money.
Then you’re free.
We’re still buying profitable companies with no plans to raise.
If you know a founder doing $1M–$20M/year who wants to sell without selling their soul, send them to us.
Still building AI tools internally, not because it’s trendy; but because bootstrapped founders don’t have assistants.
If you’re bootstrapping something weird, cool, or cashflowy, reply.
I want to hear about it.
1. Do you hate VCs?
Nope. I just think most companies don’t need them.
2. What’s the main upside of bootstrapping?
Control. Optionality. Sanity.
3. Isn’t it slower?
Yes. But slower = sustainable.
4. Did you ever almost raise money?
Yes. Then I realized I didn’t want a boss again.
5. Isn’t bootstrapping risky?
Only if you don’t build something people want to pay for.
6. What if I need to raise?
Fine. But be honest—do you need it, or just want it?
7. Do you ever feel like you “missed out”?
No. I sleep great.
8. Can you get rich bootstrapping?
Yes. But not overnight. You build a machine, not a unicorn.
9. What’s the best bootstrap advice you ever got?
Charge more. Ship faster. Say no more often.
10. Would you do it the same way again?
A hundred times, yes.
That’s all for now…
Bootstrap like nobody’s watching.
Or funding.
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