Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#1

Post by davidw » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 12:10 PM UTC

Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups
softwarebyrob.com

Re: Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#2

Post by apostlion » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 12:43 PM UTC

Given that VC-backed startups are obviously receiving far more press than bootstrapped ones, is there any statistics on how widespread are former and latter, and how successful they are, in consumer Web?

Re: Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#3

Post by xal » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 12:53 PM UTC

37signals? :-)

Re: Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#4

Post by jsherry » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 1:04 PM UTC

Mailchimp.

Re: Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#5

Post by vaksel » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 1:14 PM UTC

half of them I never even heard of...just goes to show the lack of coverage for self funded companies

Re: Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#6

Post by davidw » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 1:19 PM UTC

vaksel wrote: post #5

half of them I never even heard of...just goes to show the lack of coverage for self funded companies

I think the companies you've never heard of are the most interesting of all, in some ways. It means that "being famous" isn't part and parcel of their success.

37signals, while being a good group of people, seem to have found success in a way that I'm not sure is as easy to repeat as some of those companies that just crank away doing their thing and making their money without needing a hugely followed blog, books, web frameworks and the like. This makes me a bit dubious of some of what they have to say.

Re: Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#7

Post by paraschopra » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 1:21 PM UTC

Great job, thanks for sharing! I had blogged about revenues of some more companies here: http://paraschopra.com/blog/personal/compilation-revenue-fig...

Re: Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#8

Post by diolpah » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 1:29 PM UTC

vaksel wrote: post #5

half of them I never even heard of...just goes to show the lack of coverage for self funded companies

Those of us who are running profitable bootstrapped companies tend to put less effort into getting our name in the tech or business press. It is more important that we get our name into the minds of our customers, as our cash flow does not come from Sand Hill Road.

So, this lack of coverage should come as no surprise.

Re: Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#9

Post by frankiewarren » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 1:30 PM UTC

I like the story of Airbnb's "Obama O's." I just read about it today. Respect for the hustle. - http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2011/03/airbnb.html

Re: Highly Successful Bootstrapped Startups

#10

Post by davidw » Fri, Sep 02, 2011, 1:33 PM UTC

diolpah wrote: post #8

vaksel wrote: post #5

half of them I never even heard of...just goes to show the lack of coverage for self funded companies

Those of us who are running profitable bootstrapped companies tend to put less effort into getting our name in the tech or business press. It is more important that we get our name into the minds of our customers, as our cash flow does not come from Sand Hill Road. So, this lack of coverage should come as no surprise.

That's something I've been wrestling with lately. LiberWriter has started to turn a profit, and I'm wondering if I should copy Balsamiq's transparency / blog posts about early success. In some ways I'd like to, because publicity should help a bit in any case, but getting on HN really isn't going to get us any new customers.