The Only Reason To Raise

I just finished my first accelerator and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about fundraising constantly. Scale. What "being a real company" actually means. All of it. And I kept coming back to the same question: should Zibby raise at all? --- There's more than enough money to be made without outside capital. Bootstrapping is a legit path. You keep full control, you move at your own pace, nobody's asking for a board deck. You answer to your customers, your team, and yourself. But bootstrapping has its own hard truths: - Hiring ahead of revenue is basically impossible - Subsidizing a freemium model when every dollar is out of your own pocket? Not happening - Marketing, legal, infrastructure — it adds up fast - The speed you need to compete against incumbents with a head start? Tough to manufacture on nights and weekends And taking investment isn't a free lunch either: - Someone else's timeline is now your timeline - Equity and decision-making — you're giving some of both up - The fundraising process itself eats months you should be building - Exit expectations don't always align with a mission-driven company --- I sat with both sides for a while. And I came to a conclusion. I think there's really only one reason anyone should raise: you believe so deeply in the impact you can make that not having the scale outside investment unlocks feels like malpractice. If you can clear that bar, then all the challenges that come with fundraising aren't just worth it — they're a necessity. --- If you can achieve the impact you're after without outside money, that's awesome. If massive growth isn't in your roadmap and you're building something profitable on your own terms — no judgment. That takes its own kind of discipline. But for Zibby, scale is the mission. Our goal is to become the largest collection and keeper of human stories. That's not something I can do on a shoestring and a prayer. When the time is right, I'm pulling every lever I can to make it happen. I sincerely believe preserving our stories is the first step toward genuine connection. And once we have that — real connection over the stories that actually matter — we can build a happier future. That's not a pitch. That's just what I believe. On to the next chapter.