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bootstrapping with a paycheck
Bootstrapping Decisively to $5M+ in Revenue: Mack Sundaram, CEO of RainmakerForce (Part 4)
Mack Sundaram: Professionally, I was working in sales, sometimes in direct sales or in supporting sales. All of that was happening on the side while I was pursuing these little things. Now we’re fast forwarding down to 2014 when I left my corporate job. I was too passionate about technology and being an entrepreneur. At
Bootstrapping Decisively to $5M+ in Revenue: Mack Sundaram, CEO of RainmakerForce (Part 3)
Mack Sundaram: Exactly. There’s always that human psychology element that tells you, “Maybe you’re not ready. Maybe you should wait another year.” That was one side of the brain holding me back. At the same time, since I’d already tasted being in a startup situation a decade before that, the lure of that novelty was
Bootstrapping Decisively to $5M+ in Revenue: Mack Sundaram, CEO of RainmakerForce (Part 2)
Sramana Mitra: I did a startup in AI 20 years ago. That was not when AI was really happening. Mack Sundaram: There you go. It was incredible to get that opportunity. It was a great experience for me. Sramana Mitra: You left the company, though? Mack Sundaram: We sold the system to the Department of
Bootstrapping Decisively to $5M+ in Revenue: Mack Sundaram, CEO of RainmakerForce (Part 1)
If you haven’t already, please study our Bootstrapping Course and Investor Introductions page. Mack has built a successful business optimized for autonomy and profitability. Excellent navigation! Sramana Mitra: Let’s go to the very beginning of your journey. Tell us where you’re from. Where did you grow up? Where were you born and raised? Mack Sundaram: I was born in
Solo Entrepreneur, Bootstrapping with a Paycheck and a Virtual Company: Cedric Savarese, CEO of FormAssembly (Part 6)
Sramana Mitra: Can you name some of the locations that you specifically went after in this mode where there was enough technical talent that you were looking for but were also low cost? Cedric Saverese: There wasn’t a particular location that I was aiming for. I was aiming for US, mostly from a timezone perspective.
Solo Entrepreneur, Bootstrapping with a Paycheck and a Virtual Company: Cedric Savarese, CEO of FormAssembly (Part 5)
Sramana Mitra: Let’s switch to team. You started as a solo entrepreneur? Cedric Saverese: Yes. Sramana Mitra: How long did you carry on as a solo entrepreneur? Cedric Saverese: Two to three years, while it was a side project. When I did it full-time, I hired the first person within the next few months. Sramana
Solo Entrepreneur, Bootstrapping with a Paycheck and a Virtual Company: Cedric Savarese, CEO of FormAssembly (Part 4)
Sramana Mitra: When you started, which competitors did you see most in deals? Cedric Saverese: When I started, there was not a lot of competitive deals. We didn’t have a sales team. It was more like, “Here’s a product. If you want it, buy it.” We didn’t have a lot of visibility into our customers’
Solo Entrepreneur, Bootstrapping with a Paycheck and a Virtual Company: Cedric Savarese, CEO of FormAssembly (Part 3)
Sramana Mitra: What happens next? You’ve got this hundred or so customers. You’ve got some validation. Were you ready to quit the job? Cedric Savarese: Yes, we moved to a slightly bigger town but were still in the same area. I was hoping to find other people to help me grow the company. At this
