Should Your Startup Bootstrap or Raise Venture Capital?

Y Combinator February 5, 2024
Video Thumbnail
Y Combinator Logo

Y Combinator

@ycombinator

About

All the world is changing around technology and you may contribute a line of code. What will yours be? Subscribe for startup advice, founder stories, and a look inside Y Combinator. What is Y Combinator? We invest $500,000 in every startup and work intensively with the founders for three months. For the life of their company, founders have access to the most powerful community in the world, essential advice, later-stage funding and programs, recruiting resources, and exclusive deals. Visit ycombinator.com to learn more.

Video Description

Within the world of startups, you'll find lots of discourse online about the experiences of founders bootstrapping their startup versus the founders who have raised venture capital to fund their company. Is one better than the other? Truth is, it may not be so black and white. Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss the virtues and struggles of both paths. Apply to Y Combinator: https://yc.link/DandM-apply Work at a Startup: https://yc.link/DandM-jobs Chapters (Powered by https://bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Coming Up 00:31 - Lopsided Issue 00:51 - Most Businesses 01:19 - It's Not Shark Tank 01:49 - VC is the Outlier 03:31 - Fake Argument 04:04 - A Bad Plan 04:26 - Many Paths 05:14 - Trillionaires 06:25 - Bootstrap Winners 07:46 - Stirring the Pot 08:37 - Why Seek VC? 10:06 - It's Not Personal 11:00 - What About ____ ? 12:36 - A Simple Game 13:40 - Outro

You May Also Like

Essential Startup Tools

AI-recommended products based on this video

Loading...
MOSISO Laptop Case 13 inch, 13 inch Laptop Sleeve Bag Compatible with MacBook Air 13 M4 M3 M2 M1 2025-2018 / Pro 13 M2 M1 2025-2016, Neoprene Computer Sleeve Bag with Small Case, Space Gray Global Recycled Standard

MOSISO Laptop Case 13 inch, 13 inch Laptop Sleeve Bag Compatible with MacBook Air 13 M4 M3 M2 M1 2025-2018 / Pro 13 M2 M1 2025-2016, Neoprene Computer Sleeve Bag with Small Case, Space Gray Global Recycled Standard

(20,392)
$24.29$21.88
FREE delivery Sun, Aug 10 on your first order
Loading...
MOSISO Compatible with MacBook Air 13 inch Case 2021, 2020-2018 Release A2337 M1 A2179 A1932, Plastic Hard Shell&Keyboard Cover&Screen Film&Storage Bag for MacBook Air 13.3 inch Case, Crystal Clear

MOSISO Compatible with MacBook Air 13 inch Case 2021, 2020-2018 Release A2337 M1 A2179 A1932, Plastic Hard Shell&Keyboard Cover&Screen Film&Storage Bag for MacBook Air 13.3 inch Case, Crystal Clear

(2,431)
$14.52
FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order
200+ bought in past month
Loading...
tomtoc 360° Protective Laptop Sleeve for 13-inch New MacBook Air M4/A3240 2025, M3/A3113, M2/A2681 M1/A2337 A2179 A1932, 13-inch MacBook Pro M2/A2686 M1/A2338, Water-Resistant Computer Case Bag Global Recycled Standard

tomtoc 360° Protective Laptop Sleeve for 13-inch New MacBook Air M4/A3240 2025, M3/A3113, M2/A2681 M1/A2337 A2179 A1932, 13-inch MacBook Pro M2/A2686 M1/A2338, Water-Resistant Computer Case Bag Global Recycled Standard

(12,952)
$36.07
PrimeFREE delivery Sat, Jun 14
100+ bought in past month
Loading...
MOSISO 13-14 inch Laptop Case, 13.3 inch Puffy Laptop Sleeve Compatible with MacBook Air 13 13.6 M4 M3 M2 M1/Pro 13/Pro 14,HP,Dell,ASUS, Lenovo, Polyester Horizontal Bag with Small Case, Rose Red Global Recycled Standard

MOSISO 13-14 inch Laptop Case, 13.3 inch Puffy Laptop Sleeve Compatible with MacBook Air 13 13.6 M4 M3 M2 M1/Pro 13/Pro 14,HP,Dell,ASUS, Lenovo, Polyester Horizontal Bag with Small Case, Rose Red Global Recycled Standard

(918)
$31.04
FREE delivery Tue, Jun 17 on your first order
Loading...
AKASO V50 Elite 4K60fps Touch Screen WiFi Action Camera Voice Control EIS 131 feet Waterproof Camera 8X Zoom Remote Control with with 64GB U3 MicroSDXC Memory Card Global Recycled Standard

AKASO V50 Elite 4K60fps Touch Screen WiFi Action Camera Voice Control EIS 131 feet Waterproof Camera 8X Zoom Remote Control with with 64GB U3 MicroSDXC Memory Card Global Recycled Standard

(848)
$219.99
FREE delivery Sun, Aug 24
Loading...
Wireless Charging Case for AirPods Pro 1st / 2nd Gen with Type-C Charging Port, Compatible with AirPod Pro 2nd Generation Replacement Case, with Blue-Tooth Sync Button, No Earbuds

Wireless Charging Case for AirPods Pro 1st / 2nd Gen with Type-C Charging Port, Compatible with AirPod Pro 2nd Generation Replacement Case, with Blue-Tooth Sync Button, No Earbuds

(15)
$42.98
PrimeFREE delivery Sat, Jun 14
Loading...
Cleaner Kit for Airpods Pro 1 2 3 Multi-Function Cleaning Pen with Soft Brush Flocking Sponge for Bluetooth Earphones Case Cleaning Tools White
Best Seller

Cleaner Kit for Airpods Pro 1 2 3 Multi-Function Cleaning Pen with Soft Brush Flocking Sponge for Bluetooth Earphones Case Cleaning Tools White

(9,766)
$9.89
FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order
500+ bought in past month
Loading...
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds, Bluetooth Headphones, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, Personalized Spatial Audio, High-Fidelity Sound, H2 Chip, USB-C Charging

Apple AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds, Bluetooth Headphones, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, Personalized Spatial Audio, High-Fidelity Sound, H2 Chip, USB-C Charging

(26,678)
$259.99$194.99
FREE delivery Wed, Aug 20
5K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Wireless Charger, 3 in 1 Charging Station, Fast Charging Station Foldable Charging Stand, Wireless Charging Station for Multiple Devices, Compatible with lPhone 17/16/15/14/13 Pro Max Airpods Watch

Wireless Charger, 3 in 1 Charging Station, Fast Charging Station Foldable Charging Stand, Wireless Charging Station for Multiple Devices, Compatible with lPhone 17/16/15/14/13 Pro Max Airpods Watch

(156)
$25.64
FREE delivery Wed, Dec 24 on your first order
3K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Original HP 63 Black/Tri-color Ink (2-pack) | Works with HP DeskJet 1112, 2130, 3630 Series; HP ENVY 4510, 4520 Series; HP OfficeJet 3830, 4650, 5200 Series | Eligible for Instant Ink | L0R46AN

Original HP 63 Black/Tri-color Ink (2-pack) | Works with HP DeskJet 1112, 2130, 3630 Series; HP ENVY 4510, 4520 Series; HP OfficeJet 3830, 4650, 5200 Series | Eligible for Instant Ink | L0R46AN

(43,411)
$82.98
PrimeFREE delivery Sat, Jun 14
600+ bought in past month
Loading...
Original HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge | Works with HP DeskJet 1112, 2130, 3630 Series; HP ENVY 4510, 4520 Series; HP OfficeJet 3830, 4650, 5200 Series | Eligible for Instant Ink | F6U62AN ECOLOGO

Original HP 63 Black Ink Cartridge | Works with HP DeskJet 1112, 2130, 3630 Series; HP ENVY 4510, 4520 Series; HP OfficeJet 3830, 4650, 5200 Series | Eligible for Instant Ink | F6U62AN ECOLOGO

(214,892)
$34.98
FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order
1K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Logitech G203 Wired Gaming Mouse, 8,000 DPI, Rainbow Optical Effect LIGHTSYNC RGB, 6 Programmable Buttons, On-Board Memory, Screen Mapping, PC/Mac Computer and Laptop Compatible - Black
Best Seller

Logitech G203 Wired Gaming Mouse, 8,000 DPI, Rainbow Optical Effect LIGHTSYNC RGB, 6 Programmable Buttons, On-Board Memory, Screen Mapping, PC/Mac Computer and Laptop Compatible - Black

(17,871)
$27.98$22.38
FREE delivery Tue, Oct 14 on your first order
500+ bought in past month
Loading...
Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse, Hero 12K Sensor, 12,000 DPI, Lightweight, 6 Programmable Buttons, 250h Battery Life, On-Board Memory, PC/Mac - Black

Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse, Hero 12K Sensor, 12,000 DPI, Lightweight, 6 Programmable Buttons, 250h Battery Life, On-Board Memory, PC/Mac - Black

(21,223)
$44.98
FREE delivery Tue, Oct 14
1K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Dell 27 Plus 4K Monitor - S2725QS - 27-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) 120Hz 16:9 Display, IPS Panel, AMD FreeSync Premium, sRGB 99%, Integrated Speakers, 1500:1 Contrast Ratio, Comfortview Plus - Ash White

Dell 27 Plus 4K Monitor - S2725QS - 27-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) 120Hz 16:9 Display, IPS Panel, AMD FreeSync Premium, sRGB 99%, Integrated Speakers, 1500:1 Contrast Ratio, Comfortview Plus - Ash White

(13)
$309.99$297.59
FREE delivery Tue, Oct 7
200+ bought in past month
Loading...
(2 Pack) Outlet Wall Mount Holder for Google Home Mini and Google Nest Mini, A Space-Saving Accessories with Cord Management for Google Mini Smart Speaker, No Messy Wires or Screws

(2 Pack) Outlet Wall Mount Holder for Google Home Mini and Google Nest Mini, A Space-Saving Accessories with Cord Management for Google Mini Smart Speaker, No Messy Wires or Screws

(3,057)
$15.99
Prime
200+ bought in past month