For most founders, the dream is to sell their business startup. But the path to acquisition is often a nightmare—a long, bureaucratic slog that can pull you away from what you do best: running your company. And after all that, a deal is never guaranteed.
Everyone understands that growth is important. It’s the force that transforms a simple idea into a business and a fledgling startup into a powerhouse. But knowing how to actually create that growth—and do it fast—is a different story. I want to share how I helped one promising more than double its revenue in just the first three months of a wild nine-month ride.
For anyone involved in a new business startup, the conversation always seems to circle back to money. Specifically, how much you have and how much you need. The default goal for most is to land a huge round of venture capital, exit fundraising mode, and finally get to the work of building the company. But it’s rarely a one-and-done deal. That Series A often turns into a Series B, which then requires a Series C, and before you know it, your primary business has become the business of seeking startup funding.
When you see videos of accelerator classes chanting like rock stars, it’s easy to think that raising money is the only way to build a real company. There’s a growing sense that the funding-obsessed culture in tech can be unhealthy, and I have to agree. That’s why, aside from a little bit of early help, we decided to bootstrap our company instead of chasing investors. I’m convinced that for many (though not all) entrepreneurs, forgoing venture capital is the smarter play.
Launching your own company is a tough road. It’s paved with frustration, setbacks, and a whole lot of painful moments—and sometimes, it ends in failure. The wins feel incredible, but the lows can make you question everything. I’ve heard countless entrepreneurs talk passionately about their billion-dollar ideas, but when you look at the stats, most startups don’t make it. That got me thinking: is there a better way to go about building a successful company?
My story, and the story of my business, starts with my family. My dad passed away when I was six, leaving my mom to support us without a college degree. She took up cleaning houses because it offered the flexibility to raise my brother and me. We lived on food stamps in San Clemente, a beautiful Southern California beach town where it seemed like everyone else was jetting off to Hawaii for spring break. It was then I learned a hard lesson: money meant freedom. I was determined to build a life where my own family wouldn't have to worry about stretching a paycheck to cover new school shoes.
When I first got the chance to meet Christian Friedland, I was a bit starstruck. He was a big name at Chico State, one of the wealthiest people around, and I had learned a lot from his entrepreneurship seminars. So, when he called a few days after I won a local contest, I was thrilled. He suggested we grab dinner at Tres Hombres, a restaurant I’d actually built an app for. This was a huge step for what was essentially a dorm room operation, and I had no idea what to expect. My project was just a side hustle back then, but this meeting felt like it could be the start of turning my idea from a .
Before you start polishing your pitch deck and lining up investor meetings, it’s crucial to get your head in the right place. Getting your expectations, your math, and your strategy straight from the beginning can make all the difference when you’re looking for .
It all started on August 13, 2008. Fresh out of law school in Spain, I moved to the United States with my brother Bernardo, who is still my best friend. With our parents’ encouragement, we landed in New York, and I’ll never forget that first taxi ride into Manhattan. As we stared out the windows, completely amazed, our driver, Luigi, shared his life story in a thick Italian accent.