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Episode · Feb 19, 2025 · 37 min

The VC Trap, Failure Myths & The Power of Bootstrapping with Lea von Bidder

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About this episode

Every founder faces a choice: Raise VC and chase hypergrowth, or bootstrap and stay in control? Lea von Bidder has done both. She scaled Ava with $50M in funding, lost control when the money dried up, and now builds differently. In this episode:

  • The VC treadmill – why once you raise, there’s no getting off

  • Why failure feels personal and how to detach from your startup

  • Bootstrapping today: why it’s never been a better time to stay independent

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