Startup Funding is a Low Probability Game

Startup funding is a low probability game. LESS than 1% GET funding. Over 99% get rejected. How do you play this game and win? Learn from great Unicorn founders like Fred Luddy (ServiceNow), Christian Chabot (Tableau), and Greg Gianforte (RightNow).

Entrepreneurs typically go to VCs like beggars.

Is there a better way? You bet there is!

You CAN turn the odds in your favor. Bootstrap First, Raise Money Later.

Bootstrap decisively and VCs WILL notice.

Fred Luddy did with ServiceNow. Fred had 12 customers before raising funding.

Christian Chabot did with Tableau. Christian had 200 customers before raising Series A from NEA.

Greg Gianforte did with RightNow. Greg had $6M in revenue before raising Series A.

Amy Pressman and Borge Hald did with Medallia. Amy & Borge bootstrapped to $30M in revenue before raising funding from Sequoia.

VCs love to come to the rescue of victory. Bootstrap to victory. VCs will come chasing you!

In effect, venture capital operates not as risk capital but as growth capital. The entrepreneur has to find ways of financing the highest-risk portion of the process. We try to make startups acutely aware of this phenomenon. 

To win, it is essential that you have laser-sharp positioning. If you need help with your Positioning, join 1Mby1M Premium. We specialize in great positioning work.

Let’s discuss. What is your unfair advantage? How do you differentiate? What is your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)? What is your target segment? What stands in the way of Product-Market Fit (PMF)? Can you find Repeatability? Can you get to Velocity? What is your Total Available Market (TAM)?