TMBA 326: To VC or Not to VC, That is the Question

Columns and ceiling at the Temple of Olympian Zeus

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Today's show is the first of a two part series in which Dan and Ian are speaking with someone who’s been a great influence on them: David Heinemeier Hannson.

David is the co-founder of Basecamp and creator of Ruby on Rails. In this episode, we're going to be talking about a subject that some see as a blueprint for getting mega rich and others consider a dirty word: Venture Capital.

Wade Foster also offers his thoughts and experiences of taking seed funding for Zapier, the company he co-foundered.

Listen to this week's show and learn:

  • The differences between success in the VC world and building a successful lifestyle business. (6:03)

  • How David and his partner decided to sell a minority stake in Basecamp. (16:38)

  • Why keeping yourself engaged in your business can end up being extremely profitable. (24:45)

  • How Wade's life has changed since taking a million dollars in venture capital for Zapier. (25:51)

  • Why investing more money doesn't always guarantee faster growth. (28:48)

Mentioned in the episode:

The Dynamite Circle
David Heinemeier Hansson
Basecamp
Ruby on Rails
ReWork by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Zapier
Getting Real
Jason Fried
Reconsider
Y Combinator
Paul Graham
Chris Sacca
Maverick by Ricardo Semler
Kathy Sierra
Jeff Bezos

Enjoyed this podcast? Check out these:

TMBA244: "I Got My First Monies, What Should I Do Now?"
TMBA290: A Conversation About Bootstrapping and Drop Shipping With Andrew Youderian
TMBA323: No Office Required

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HAVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SHOW?

Do you have ideas for things you'd like Dan and Ian to discuss on future episodes?

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Thanks for listening to our show! We'll be back next Thursday morning 8AM EST.

Cheers,

Dan & Ian

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TMBA 327: For Better or For Worse

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Next

TMBA 325: A Conversation With Ribbonfarm's Venkat Rao