234: Jason Cohen — Two Exits & Two Unicorns
Download MP3Are 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
You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com
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.
Creators and Guests
Host
Arvid Kahl
Empowering founders with kindness. Building in Public. Sold my SaaS FeedbackPanda for life-changing $ in 2019, now sharing my journey & what I learned.
Guest
Jason Cohen
Keyword, buzzword, half-truth, adjective, hey look at me! (founder of two unicorns: https://t.co/Cc4OvZx0T9, https://t.co/JTEGCe7Zq6)
