DISQUS

Instigator Blog: What Does Your Brain on Funding Look Like?

  • Download Music · 2 years ago
    Yes, you go through all these stages of lunacy and comes the day that you are off and running. Brother, your troubles start almost immediately. The blokes who funded you want in, want you to sell out and become their employee or expect you to buy them off and so on and so forth. You must prepare all these unsuspecting entrepreneurs about some of these post operational madness too!
  • David Finch · 2 years ago
    Ben, right on! Gutting through the rejection after one pitch after another, always shows you something new about yourself, your product and others.

    Great post!!
  • Des Walsh · 2 years ago
    Ben
    I get it, as far as you've gone. What would make it more interesting for me is some first person narrative. I *think* this is from your experience, but for someone who has had no contact with you previously this (concepts, text, not so much the eggstremely cute grapheggs)could have come from notes from a seminar. Do you have a personal story you want to share? Now? Later?
  • Ben Yoskovitz · 2 years ago
    @Des: Thanks for the comment. Certainly the eggs didn't come from a seminar! Although that would make for one interesting seminar.

    As much as it would be interesting to describe things from a 1st person context with specific stories, it's not really possible. I do end the post on a personal note, which hopefully makes it clear that much / all of this is my own thoughts from my own experience.
  • Peter · 2 years ago
    Very funny. You a Bill Hicks fan?
  • Advice Network · 2 years ago
    You have summarized in a few quick photos, why I am bootstrapping my company.

    There is a missing photo, and it's titled "this is your brain, if you got funding, and the company is doing well" and it's a picture of a hard boiled egg, and someone (not you) is scooping out the best part with a spoon.
  • LPS · 2 years ago
    Interesting photographs. Raising money is like a pressure cooker with your brain in it.
  • Becky McCray · 2 years ago
    Love the graphics, Ben!

    "And then your head explodes." Love it!!
  • Viv · 2 years ago
    Certainly gives new meaning to the term"egghead" or "ego"
  • Raza Imam · 2 years ago
    Bootstrappers are smart. We are creators, innovators, and differentiators.

    Sure, bootstrapping isn't realistic for every business. In fact many need to raise outside funding. Bootstrappers are the Navy SEALs being dropped in hostile territory with little more than a knife and a gun. It's life or death. Funded companies are the Air Force dropping bombs from 30,000 feet in the sky.

    Innovative companies will tell you your best work comes when you have few resources.

    Raza Imam
    http://www.BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com
  • Ben Yoskovitz · 2 years ago
    Raza - there's no question that "creativity loves constraints" but used properly funding can be of huge value. The problem with getting funding is that it makes it a lot easier to spend money. It's tougher to stay constrained and be more strategic. But it's not impossible.

    And one of the biggest challenges of bootstrapping is being perpetually under-capitalized. So there are pros and cons all around. At the end of the day it's not as much an issue of funding vs. bootstrapping, it's about successful execution. If you can't execute effectively you're in big trouble no matter what.