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
Tune in for unfiltered startup lessons!
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