VP Yukesh’s Post

No one will remember if you worked late. Except your kids. It took me building a $9M company to understand this. When I started Expandi, I thought success meant: • Grinding 16-hour days • Always being available • Sacrificing everything else Then my 2 beautiful kids were born. And reality hit me in the face: You can work until 2 a.m. But your toddler will still wake you up at 3 a.m. And in that moment: • Your 9 am meeting doesn't matter • Your deadlines don't matter • Your metrics don't matter They just need their parent. And you need to be there for them despite the chaos. The startup world often glorifies sacrifice. But the truth is, your startup can recover from: • Bad quarters • Failed launches • Lost deals But your kids won’t understand why you: • Missed their games • Skipped their dances • Weren't there for dinner I still work those long hours. But now I know what really matters: In 20 years, my kids won't remember my startup's valuation. But they'll remember if I showed up. And that’s what I do every single day.

Here is why I’m bootstrapping PrelovedTherapy : 1. Starting my first business on eBay taught me how to build a lean startup. Now, I'm hooked on growing businesses only by reinvesting profits. Why change a good thing? 2. I’m too lazy to add another full-time job of looking for investment to my already full-time job of building a business. 3. Black women founders received less than 0.5% of all VC funding in 2023. Sometimes you just have to admit that the odds are stacked against you and create your own game. 4. I don’t know how to ‘move fast and break things’. 5. I meant it when I said freedom and autonomy (or at least I’m trying really hard to mean it). 6. The accelerator/incubator/VC(investing on vibes) world feels like high school all over again. I didn’t particularly enjoy high school. 7. I’m trying to build a life that doesn’t wreck my mental health. Yes, the bootstrapped way is slow and boring. But I like slow and boring. What about you?

Early-stage founders: What’s holding you back as you wrap up 2024? Let’s tackle the chaos together. 🎯 You’re conditioned to think hustle solves everything. But here’s the truth: you can’t scale a business by doing it all yourself. With January around the corner, now’s the time to focus on what really matters for your startup. I see founders burning energy on tasks that don’t move the needle, while overlooking areas that drive real growth. Here are 5 critical areas to focus on before the year ends: 1️⃣ Tighten up workflows now to save time and sanity later. 2️⃣ Spot churn patterns and maximize your best channels. 3️⃣ Focus your team where it matters—or get help to find gaps. 4️⃣ Clear KPIs = better decisions. 5️⃣ Lay the groundwork for 2025’s growth today. This is exactly the work I love helping founders navigate. You don’t have to do it all alone—or worse, spin your wheels doing the wrong things. 👉 Watch the video above to dive deeper. And if any of this resonates, head here to signup for my Ugly Seedling newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gRazWZPZ Let me know in the comments—what’s your biggest priority as you plan for 2025?

The last couple of years have been tough for many founders, and I know they’re doing everything they can to keep the company moving forward. Even if you’ve had an exit, cash isn’t unlimited, and the financial pressure is real. Your co-founders might be in different situations, too — juggling personal cash flow needs (the average founder is 42). Here’s what I’m seeing in our community: > Some founders are consulting a few hours a week to keep things steady. 📊 > Others are taking part-time gigs just to make ends meet. 🕐 > Many have dipped into savings, maxed out credit cards, or tapped into their 401(k). 💳 But here’s the thing: Don’t give up on your dream. 🚀 Do whatever it takes to survive, but stay true to your vision. Make sure you’ve got a solid support system around you—friends, family, fellow founders. Lean on your network, share the load, and keep pushing. Your resilience is your greatest asset. Keep going. You’ve got this! 💪✨ #founders #startups #building #selling

Alright founders, we know the drill: You've got the vision, the passion, and the product. But now comes the hard part—convincing investors to share that vision and open up their wallets. So, what do they really want to see in a pitch deck? Here’s the lowdown (with a dash of wit and real examples): 1️⃣ A Problem That’s Begging to Be Solved Investors aren’t just looking for a product; they’re looking for a solution. Can you clearly define the pain point? Think about Airbnb—a simple idea born from the problem of unaffordable hotel rooms. If you can show how your solution changes the game, you're off to a great start! 2️⃣ A Market They Can’t Ignore They need to see the potential. Is your market big enough to scale? Investors want to know that there’s a growing market and that your product can capture a healthy slice of it. For example, when Uber pitched, it wasn’t just about rides—it was about revolutionizing the entire transportation industry. 3️⃣ Traction That Speaks Volumes Nothing says "we’re onto something" like traction. Whether it’s user growth, partnerships, or revenue, show them your progress. When Dropbox first presented, their viral growth was their crown jewel. Show proof that you’re not just a good idea—you’re a great business! 4️⃣ A Rockstar Team Investors invest in people, not just ideas. Highlight your team’s experience and why you’re the perfect crew to lead this venture. As they say, “It’s the jockey, not the horse.” 5️⃣ The Ask (Don’t Forget This Part!) Don’t shy away from it. Be clear on how much you’re raising, where it will go, and how it will take your startup to the next level. And please, please, make sure your math adds up! In short, investors are looking for clarity, potential, and proof. Get these right, and you’ll have them leaning in for more! Does any pitch deck win (or fail) to share? Drop them in the comments—We’d love to hear your stories! And if you want to get your investor worthy pitch deck ready, dm us now #financialservices #onelfs

After exiting my business, I promised myself 2 things: 1. I will never be a W2 employee. 2. I will never build another startup. I didn't keep either promise. (Shock) So, what happened instead? - I sat on the sidelines for a month. - Then jumped right back into a new business. During my short-lived 'retirement', I did a number of things: - Spent time with family & friends. - Hit a lot of golf balls (indoor). - Planned for future travel. But one puzzle piece was missing from the board. That connection with the business world. The thrill of building and creating something from nothing. And I desperately wanted that connection back. Then, I reconnected with an old friend. We met up and had conversations over numerous cups of coffee. And Exitwise was born. Since then, we have: - Helped many founders sell their businesses for prices way above market value. - Generated tens of Millions of dollars for our clients in sale proceeds. - Worked with amazing people across all industries from automotive to AI. - Built connections with the most talented investment bankers, CPAs, and advisors in the M&A arena. - Accidentally started a SaaS business. - Had a blast doing it. So, it's safe to say my 'retirement' didn't last long. (Who was I kidding?) Apparently, entrepreneurship is in my blood. And M&A is my focus. It's what I do. And I have a feeling I'll be doing it for a long time to come. Thinking of selling your business? Drop me a DM.

Stop trying to chase fame when building your business. Focus on making profits instead of seeking fame. I agree fame can be big leverage for your business success. But you need to ask yourself if you're trying to chase fame for your business or your ego Here are some of the mistake startup founders make ↳ Raising millions of dollars from VCs ↳ Have an office full of people ↳ Get an article in TechCrunch ↳ Hire as many people as I can so I can brag about how big is my team at parties ↳ Rush for an exit so I can call myself an “exited SaaS founder” You know you're doing it wrong if you're in it for the ego Remember — you're not chasing fame and attention. You're building a profitable business that creates lasting wealth. Winners don't do different things, they do things differently. What do you think ? comment below 👇 🍀 Until next post

As a founder, there’s one metric that can sneak up on you faster than you think: ➡️ Your runway and burn rate. In 2008, Airbnb’s founders were down to their last $1,000. They had a vision, but no cash. To survive, they sold cereal—yes, cereal boxes themed around the presidential election—to keep their dream alive. That gave them just enough breathing room to refine their idea, attract investors, and build what’s now a billion-dollar company. No matter how promising your startup seems, cash flow is everything. Runway is how long you can survive without additional funding, and burn rate is how fast you’re spending. Mismanage either, and your dream evaporates. The difference between thriving and folding often comes down to discipline. Every dollar spent should be a conscious decision, not a mindless habit. Stretch that runway. Lower that burn rate. You might be surprised how much creativity surfaces when your back is against the wall. For those navigating this delicate balance, here’s a deeper dive! Credits - CFO Insights #startupwisdom #foundersjourney #cashflow #founders #investors #venturecapital

Looks bad, huh? Maybe. Or maybe you need to let it break. This week a venture in my portfolio finished a two quarter push on two new pricing models. Neither met expectations. This Tuesday they’re cut. Permanently. And here’s what we gained from this last thread breaking. Our prospects are more recession resilient than we thought. They don’t want new pricing. They don’t even want more features. They did all tell us that they all want us to rapidly expand our integration library. Fast. And we know that our higher revenue customers and new prospects will pay a premium for us to get that into market. Things break. The center doesn’t hold. Entropy. For SaaS startups and scale-ups, failures are relatively cheap and almost always afford new learnings. If you’re startup has some dangling threads, take heart. You can learn from these pending failures. You can then rapidly action new choices to meet the market head on. ♻️ Because it’ll help. 🎮 Message me to book an appointment to kick over your immediate perils. 📍 Visit my site to learn how I impact tech ventures fast, and grow shareholder value: https://lnkd.in/gbUu2iph

There was a time when I thought I had it all figured out, only to discover I’d misunderstood a crucial aspect of bootstrapping my start-ups. We had this great idea and rushed into it without owning the cash flow. Big mistake. We relied too heavily on credit cards early on, thinking we’d cover it later. Spoiler: we didn’t. Recognising this blunder was a wake-up call. We had to tighten our belts and shift our priorities. From that point, we focused solely on generating revenue before spending. This transition forced us to be more creative and efficient, which eventually turned our venture into a lean, customer-centric machine. If you’re looking to bootstrap, here are a few tips: start small, lean into customer feedback, and don't shy away from odd jobs to keep the lights on while you figure things out. Keep an eye on every penny and ask yourself if the expenditure brings you closer to profit. Learning from that hiccup taught me that bootstrapping can be a real challenge, but it also builds resilience. So, embrace the mistakes, refine your strategies, and trust the process. It’s all part of the ride. Cheers!