that was out of necessity. They had made their pitch to venture investors and been turned away pretty quickly. Often with feedback of “let’s stay in touch for when the markets improve.” Not many Series A financings were completed in the Seattle area during that time period (until the last several months). And of those that were completed, as successful as some of them will be, many were at a valuation which reflected the fact that capital was not readily available. But now that the markets have improved, and more venture capital firms want to put their money to work, some young companies are just saying no.
Venture capital investments bring a company, among other things, working capital (obviously), expertise on the board, connections to business partners, access to the industry talent pool, and ideally a path to success. And just by linking up with a good venture capital firm, companies often have an inherent sense of accomplishment.
But some companies have realized that they can grow and succeed without that sudden infusion of capital and without all of the benefits of having venture investors. These entrepreneurs have put their own savings into their companies and they’ve learned to run their businesses in an incredibly lean manner. They’ve been able to find strategic expertise and top-notch employees and consultants through hard work, experience, networking, and by utilizing their business, financial, and legal advisors. Perhaps they’re not growing as quickly, and that has some business risk in and of itself, and they’re also not drawing a large paycheck, if any. But they might have the ability to manage their business better, take the time to make thoughtful decisions, work with an independent Board of Directors of advisors, and do so without significantly diluting their equity position in their own company.
These entrepreneurs have learned that success is not necessarily defined by how much money you’ve raised and from whom. It’s what you do with your business at the end of the day—the success of accomplishing your goals. And with or without venture investors, if your business succeeds by the measure of the CEO and Board of Directors, that is ultimately what matters.
And if there is a meaningful liquidity event at the end of the day, even better.