Want to be a millionaire?
Stop chasing unicorn status and forget the VC shit.
When you take VC money, you’re no longer building for yourself.
You’re building for your investors.
The outcome is often:
1/ Massive dilution → You’re lucky to end up with 5-10% ownership after multiple rounds.
2/ High-pressure growth → You’re forced to burn through cash as fast as possible to hit “hyper-growth” or risk being out of the game.
3/ Binary outcomes → It’s IPO or bust, and the bust rate is far higher than most realize. Every other week, I speak with a founder who (like me) didn’t believe it when they first heard a VC say so.
On the other hand, bootstrapped founders build differently.
They grow steadily, control the process, and own their business.
The result?
1/ They retain 80-100% of their company → No dilution, no compromises.
2/ They grow at their own pace → Sustainable growth that doesn’t rely on constant pressure.
3/ They get rich off profits, not theoretical valuations → Their wealth comes from real, tangible results, not stock options that may never materialize.
TAKEAWAY
If you want to create long-term wealth:
Focus on building a business that makes money.
Not one that’s driven by hype or pressure to exit.
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👋 Don't know me? I'm J.Y! I've been building things and making money online since 2017, and I share my entrepreneurial journey here on LinkedIn.