The Sexiest Way to Fund Your Startup

Sarah Simpkins
Sep 5, 2018 · 2 min read

I tend to hang out on the startup capital side of the entrepreneurship equation, and along with entrepreneurship in general, I feel like venture capitalists and angel investors are having a bit of a moment.

In the startup world, I think people consider VCs and Angels the “sexiest” forms of capital. But I want to make an argument that there is an even sexier funding option available to entrepreneurs:

Bootstrapping.

Because working twice the hours of a regular entrepreneur because you keep your full time job and run your idea as a side hustle for awhile sounds sexy, right?

Ok, maybe not.

But piloting your idea to see if it works, and building a following on social media, and running an online store with limited inventory to test what sells without incurring huge costs, and showing up at a few low-overhead events where you have an opportunity to test your product for the price of a booth fee… all before you have to take on any debt or give up any ownership in your company?

Now that does sound pretty sexy.

Added bonus? That bootstrapping season will help you graduate to other forms of capital when your company is ready. Because you’ll be able to provide some actual evidence that your idea is working (even small scale evidence is better than no evidence) AND you’ll be showing whoever is across the table from you in that VC meeting or meeting with the bank that you are serious about putting in the hard work it takes to make your idea a reality.

Sarah Simpkins

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Possibly the master of none type of generalist, but having fun with it so far. sarahgoing.com goingplacesmedia.com