234: Jason Cohen — Two Exits & Two Unicorns

Are you a bootstrapper who's never considered raising investment money? Or maybe you're a die-hard VC-funded growth hacker who can't imagine running a business without that extra cash infusion. Either way, Jason Cohen's journey from bootstrapping to raising millions will give you a fresh perspective on the funding debate.

Jason discusses his personal discovery of wanting a different journey with WP Engine, which led to raising money after two years of bootstrapping. We also uncover the importance of understanding your competitors instead of demonizing them, in order to develop a unique strategy for your own business.

Jason has seen and done a lot as a founder. No matter what stage of this journey you’re on, you will learn something today.

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:27 Raising money for bootstrapped companies.
00:09:16 When is it bad to sell your business?
00:15:31 The problem with self-imposed ignorance.
00:19:11 Founder mental health issues
00:23:04 How to hire people who are better than you.
00:27:26 The importance of having a consistent strategy.
00:31:20 The reality distortion field of a software business.
00:34:59 Do you ever consider building a solopreneur business again?
00:40:37 Do you ever consider not being a founder anymore?
00:45:12 The value of building a public network.
00:54:12 The importance of building public.
01:01:03 The importance of social media.

Jason on Twitter: @asmartbear

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/jason-cohen-two-exits-two-unicorns/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/b349aec5

The video: https://youtu.be/fMniLsLl5nc

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com! Go to http://try.acquire.com/arvid/ to get started with making sure you run a sellable business.

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (01:27) - Raising money for bootstrapped companies.
• (09:16) - When is it bad to sell your business?
• (15:31) - The problem with self-imposed ignorance.
• (19:11) - Founder mental health issues
• (23:04) - How to hire people who are better than you.
• (27:26) - The importance of having a consistent strategy.
• (31:20) - The reality distortion field of a software business.
• (34:59) - Do you ever consider building a solopreneur business again?
• (40:37) - Do you ever consider not being a founder anymore?
• (45:12) - The value of building a public network.
• (54:12) - The importance of building public.
• (01:01:03) - The importance of social media.