Instead of raising money to buy ads, founders should explore capital-efficient alternatives. Club Penguin partnered with gaming site Miniclip for a revenue share. This cost them nothing upfront, provided massive distribution, and ultimately created a win-win outcome for both companies.

Sonder's bankruptcy wasn't due to its core idea of a standardized home rental, which was sound. The failure stemmed from raising too much venture capital ($680M), which created immense pressure for hyper-growth. This forced the company to sign unprofitable leases, proving a good business can be destroyed by the wrong funding model and unrealistic expectations.

To maintain product focus and avoid the 'raising money game,' the founders of Cues established a separate trading company. They used the profits from this successful venture to self-fund their AI startup, enabling them to build patiently without being beholden to VC timelines or expectations.

The dominant VC narrative demands founders focus on a single venture. However, successful entrepreneurs demonstrate that running multiple projects—a portfolio approach mirrored by VCs themselves—is a viable path, contrary to the "focus on one thing" dogma.

The Laundress founder argues that celebrating multiple VC rounds is misguided. While seen as a "badge of honor," it means giving away control and equity. By bootstrapping, she retained majority ownership, contrasting the "sexy" VC narrative with the financial reality of keeping your company.

The venture capital return model has shifted so dramatically that even some multi-billion-dollar exits are insufficient. This forces VCs to screen for 'immortal' founders capable of building $10B+ companies from inception, making traditionally solid businesses run by 'mortal founders' increasingly uninvestable by top funds.