Don't Accidentally Bootstrap Yourself to Death: Why SaaS Founders Should Raise VC After 18-24 Months

Jason Lemkin warns SaaS founders against the 'Bootstrapped-to-Death' trap, where companies reach $1-2M ARR without external capital but face exhaustion, inability to scale customer success, and competitive disadvantage. He argues that while bootstrapping can work initially, most SaaS companies should raise venture capital within 18-24 months to avoid losing their vision and momentum to better-capitalized competitors.