One of the main things that VCs are looking for is a huge target market, usually at least $1 billion, that you can address through your startup. The reason for this is simple: VCs invest in multiple startups with the understanding that some of them will fail, some of them will not grow very much,...

In my case, I didn’t need any money to get started — I’m able to do all of the work in my business currently and I have built up a personal runway over the years that gives me the freedom to work for some time before getting significant sales. And I’m not trying to target a huge market — in fact,...

As mentioned before, VCs are looking to fund companies that can capture huge markets. As a result, they’re not interested in building businesses that can comfortably sustain founders and employees.

If they can’t get an exit that contributes to their returns in a set period of time, then it ...

While there was very little information out there for people who are following a more gradual and modest path to building a business. What this means is that you will often find yourself breaking the so-called “rules” or the dogma that has been established over the years by the most influential a...

But if you’re not, and I think the more people in the startup community should come to the realization that they’re not — then you don’t actually have to follow the rules. In fact, following their rules may take you on the exact opposite path of where you want to go.

Read on for some exampl...

As a solo founder, I started off by breaking one of the cardinal VC rules that says you can’t build a successful startup on your own. Never mind the research that says solo-founded companies ar...

As someone who has helped lead a successful funding round for a VC-backed startup, I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to get a venture capital firm to buy into your vision and cut you a check.

Yet for my current project, Epilocal , I decided t...

One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to the startup ecosystem is the number of startup coaches out there spouting the same recycled wisdom from Steve Blank or the Lean Startup about how you have to “ get o...