We plan to bring eChai across 100 cities in India. It starts with eChai Startup Demo Day on 26 September, all in person. 13 cities confirmed, 688 founders registered. Any city that reaches 20 interested founders is on too. See your city
Raise money

Should you raise? VC vs bootstrap

Raise only if the fuel buys escape velocity.

Level All Beginner Intermediate Advanced
Who's asking Everyone Aspiring Founder Idea-Stage Founder Builder Launcher Grower Indie Hacker Technical Solo Founder Non-Technical Founder Domain Expert Women Founder Anywhere Founder Repeat Founder

Showing 5 of 18 questions. Clear filters

What kind of businesses are actually a good fit for venture capital? VC math only works for companies that can plausibly return the whole fund on one bet, which means a huge market, a business that gets more valuable... Intermediate 3 resources → What do I give up when I take VC money? You give up equity, a chunk of control (board seats, protective provisions), and the freedom to build a merely-good business. You also sign up for ... Intermediate 3 resources → How much money should I actually raise in my first round? Raise 18 to 24 months of runway to hit the next real milestone, not the biggest number you can get. Over-raising sets a valuation you then have to ... Intermediate 2 resources → Should I raise from Indian VCs or try to get a US or global fund on my cap table? Raise from whoever gives you the fastest, cleanest capital and genuinely understands your market, not from the flag on the fund's website. For an I... Intermediate 3 resources → What traction or metrics do I actually need before a seed round in India? There is no fixed bar, but you need one metric moving fast enough that an investor's fear of missing out beats their fear of losing money. For most... Intermediate 3 resources →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →