Indiegogo's co-founder explains that the concept of "runway" doesn't apply to a bootstrapped startup living on savings. Instead of a dwindling cash reserve, the limit is the founders' personal willingness to continue investing their own time and money.

Raise capital when you can clearly see upcoming growth and need resources to service it. Tying your timeline to operational milestones, like onboarding new customers, creates genuine urgency and momentum. This drives investor FOMO and helps close deals more effectively than an arbitrary deadline.

Since startups lack infinite time and money, an investor's key diligence question is whether the team can learn and iterate fast enough to find a valuable solution before resources run out. This 'learning velocity' is more important than initial traction or a perfect starting plan.

Founder Adrian Solgaard believes extreme constraints, like having only €637 left, force entrepreneurs to cut through distractions and hyper-focus. This pressure cooker environment, where survival is the only goal, is where the most magical, focused work happens.

David Cohen observes that founders who are inherently frugal or "stingy" with capital—spending only when absolutely necessary—often achieve better outcomes. This mindset, focused on capital preservation and efficiency, is a more powerful indicator of success than simply raising large rounds to fuel growth, a trait he has seen in his own entrepreneurial career.

Despite a $50 million exit from their previous company, the Everflow founders intentionally limited their initial investment to a few hundred thousand dollars and didn't take salaries for two years. They believed capital scarcity forces focus and efficiency, preventing wasteful spending while they were still figuring out the product.

Venture capital can create a "treadmill" of raising rounds based on specific metrics, not building a sustainable business. Avoiding VC funding allowed Donald Spann to maintain control, focus on long-term viability, and build a company he could sustain without external pressures or risks.

Archer's CEO conceptualizes his role as being in the 'time business.' He views capital raised as a representation of time for his team. His high-stakes travel and meetings are strategically chosen only if they secure outcomes that extend the company's runway, enabling the team to solve hard technical problems.

Chet Pipkin advises that a lack of cash is not always a bad thing for a new venture. Financial constraints force founders to focus on the essential aspects of their business and identify a genuine, pressing customer problem, which is more critical for success than having abundant capital.