3 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Raise VC

The usual success story goes something like this: Start company → Get first revenue → Raise VC → Become Unicorn → Get acquired or IPO.

3 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Raise VC

The usual success story goes something like this:
Start company → Get first revenue → Raise VC → Become Unicorn → Get acquired or IPO.

VC might not be your jam if:

1. You want to retain ownership and control

   • Most founders exit with < 20 percents ownership
   • At Series A, your ownership might drop < 50 percents
   • At Series B, your Board might outvote you

2. You want to grow at your own pace

   • Early-stage VC plays for home runs (>25x returns)
   • Investors expect rapid growth (T2D3 in SaaS)
   • External pressure to scale fast

3. You don't care about exits or scale

   • 'Unicorn or bust,' but < 1 percent get there
   • Exit expected in 5-7 years (early stage)
   • VC requires business/culture fit

The Reality:
You can be very happy without VC money.
Success isn’t raising lots of money—it’s loving what you do and making a living from it.

Not every company is a VC case, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be great or profitable.

Author

DIGITIZING ASIA, ABN ASIA was founded by people with deep roots in academia, with work experience in the US, Holland, Hungary, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam. ABN Asia is where academia and technology meet opportunity. With our cutting-edge solutions and competent software development services, we're helping businesses level up and take on the global scene. Our commitment: Faster. Better. More reliable. In most cases: Cheaper as well.

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