Money WondersPlay

Building a BusinessFunding

Bootstrapping or Investors

Use your own money or sell a piece of the company

Take an investor's check and grow faster, or keep every slice and grow on your own. Which founder ends up with more?

You'll find out

  • What an investor really buys
  • A $12 billion firm with no investors
  • When selling a slice pays off

Why it matters

Every founder who takes money trades part of the company for speed. Knowing the trade is knowing who owns your work.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 170 · Zone 19

Play this lesson

Free to play in your browser or on iPhone

More in this zone

  1. 163IdeasFind a Problem People Pay ForBusinesses sell solutions to real pain
  2. 164ValidationYour First CustomerSell it before you build it
  3. 165InventionsPost-it Notes Were a Failed GlueA weak adhesive became a bestseller
  4. 166Small BusinessA Business Needs EmployeesAbout four in five US businesses have none
  5. 167StartingSpanx's $5,000Sara Blakely sold fax machines door to door, cut the feet off her pantyhose, and built Spanx from $5,000 of savings
  6. 168PricingCost-Plus or Value PricingCharge for what it costs or for what it's worth
  7. 169Side HustlesHow Many Customers to Quit Your Job?Your escape number in customers
  8. 171Fear of JudgmentThe Spotlight EffectPeople notice you far less than you think