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Comment by onethumb | Hacker News Reader

As a bootstrapped founder, exciting to see communities like this forming and rising. It's such a non-traditional way to start, build and grow a business in Silicon Valley that it can be baffling for new founders or those that want to try something "different". I've been encouraged by the recent success of the Tugboat Institute and its Evergreen movement, too, FWIW: http://www.thetugboatgroup.com/

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We bootstrapped 4 years ago and after a year we had enough revenue to pay ourselves a small paycheck. Kept the platform and team lean the entire way. Today we're a team of 3 people and we closed out 2015 with $2M in revenue.

The growth was definitely a lot slower in the beginning but retaining control (instead of taking VC) has been a very positive upside.

It's such a non-traditional way to start

Doubt this. Remember that VC is only available to those who already have an "in" with the social proof network of the VCs.

We, like many many others, bootstrapped our business out of necessity, not out of choice.

Yeah, but parent wrote:

>It's such a non-traditional way to start in the Silicon Valley.

Thanks for pointing that out. It is funny that this is a very normal way to start a business almost everywhere else - but people do look at you funny in Silicon Valley.

I suppose I should have elaborated on our journey. The nutshell is that we've been in business for 14 years, bootstrapped and profitable, and currently employ more than 120 of the best people I know. It can be done, even in Silicon Valley. :)

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