FBC – 356 – What it REALLY means to raise millions of dollars

What it REALLY means to raise millions of dollars

Today, we are going to talk big bucks! We often hear about such and such company raising millions of dollars in the news.

Sounds fascinating BUT… Is there something we are missing here?

Is there a dark side of raising money and some implications we are not aware of?

All the details and more in this episode.

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So everybody has that curse of knowledge in a specific field where I asked Roger Federer, dude, how do you do this back hand, he'll be like, you just do this. And I'm like, well, yeah, but, you know, teach me. You just do this with your arm. Right. Because he's been doing that for so long, that for him it’s natural. And it's very hard for him to remember what it was when he had to learn it at the beginning.

And I forgot was how it was for me before I entered the online space. It's fascinating how many different areas of marketing they are and how things are completely different. I was in marketing before being in what I do now and it was completely different. Like every like what I do today was light years away from me.

Not that it was complicated, it's just that there are different forms of marketing that I was using. And I had no idea that people were building all these like funnels and using click funnels and stuff like that. My clients, the people I was working with and I was working for were companies like Skype and Coca-Cola, Procter Gamble and stuff.

So do you imagine that these guys, they don't have any problems with budget and spending money and millions and millions on ads and billboards and all that stuff. So you understand this marketing is very different from what we're doing now.

It's fascinating. The big difference that there is and I completely forgot about it because, you know, now I've been in this mind-set and in this space of marketing that I forgot about it. There's not just one way of doing things, you know, and everyone’s experience is different.

And I actually had never met someone who had dealt with venture capital and all that stuff. You know, I've always been curious to know. You know how that works, you know, like venture capital and how do you raise the money.

What it REALLY means to raise millions of dollars

So I met these people and they're quite successful. Some really big names are actually putting money in their business. And it was interesting for me to learn this, because here's the thing.

You know when you hear this company raised 20 million dollars and stuff like that. Yes. They raised twenty million dollars. Someone invested 20 million dollars and in exchange, they will take a stake of your company. So they will take, I don't know, 50 percent, 30 percent.

And one thing that I've always had in my head was my “why”. This is the strongest thing in my life. But the danger is as soon as someone becomes your investor, your shareholders and all that stuff, then you are not the boss, my friend, because these people, they want their money and they will dictate what you do and these people can get you fired.

So it was really interesting to have this kind of chat and just to reflect on the fact that what we're building here is a lifestyle business where you are building it from the ground up with your own funds.

Now you don't have unlimited funds. Right. So you have to be careful about your marketing budgets and all that stuff. And this is something that they we're telling me because, you know, when you have these people backing you, you can just spend the money and stuff. But you are now accountable to a higher authority.

So yeah, just remember, as tempting as it is to have someone invest all this money and stuff. Yes. Then you end up with a boss. This is not something I would like to do, you know, having investors and stuff. Then you have to produce some kind of yearly and quarterly reports and blah, blah, blah.

And then you have to go to some meetings and stuff like that which I really don't want to do, OK, but yeah, it’s very fascinating how different things are within the same space, right? It's still marketing is still building a business and try to grow it. But there's so many different ways of doing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does raising millions of dollars actually mean for a founder?

Raising millions of dollars means trading equity, control, and speed of decision for cash and a public scoreboard. The founder gains runway and validation, but takes on investors, board obligations, and growth targets that often outrun the business. The headline number sounds glamorous, but the day after the raise the real work hardens fast.

Is raising venture money the right path for every entrepreneur?

No. Most businesses are healthier when bootstrapped or grown with modest revenue. Venture capital fits a narrow band of high growth, winner takes most markets. For everyone else, raising big money creates pressure that distorts product decisions, hiring, and timing, and often kills businesses that would have thrived at a calmer pace.

What dark sides of large fundraises do new founders miss?

New founders miss the dilution math, the board governance rules, the preference stack, and the soft pressure to grow at any cost. They also miss how a single down round can wipe out years of work. Excitement covers the fine print. The legal and structural details matter more than the size of the headline.

How can I tell if my business should raise money or stay bootstrapped?

Ask whether the market rewards being first at huge scale or being best at a healthy margin. Winner takes most categories often need capital. Margin and service categories rarely do. If you can grow profitably from revenue, bootstrap. If you must spend ahead of revenue to win, raising may make sense, but go in eyes open.

About the Author

Martin Ebongue is the founder of martinebongue.com, an online business and lifestyle design blog focused on helping aspiring entrepreneurs build location-independent businesses. Since 2014, he has been creating and scaling online ventures across multiple niches, from digital products and affiliate marketing to SaaS and content platforms, while traveling the world. He shares the real-world strategies, tools, and systems that work, with a particular focus on AI-powered automation for solopreneurs. Follow him on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

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