How Nick Telson-Sillett went from Bootstrapping to a $30M Exit
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Serial Founder's journey from Bootstrapping to Exits
I was amped to have Nick Telson-Sillett in the hot seat talking through his journey, from bootstrapping Design My Night to a £30+ million exit, to raising venture capital for his SaaS venture, Trumpet, and building Sequel, an investment fund for professional athletes.
His unique perspective offers a practical guide on when to bootstrap, when to seek VC funding, and how to execute an exit strategy effectively. It's a great chat with exclusive info, including how Nick had to steal food for survival before his first startup scaled.
Here's what you're in for:
- 05:34 - The story behind Design My Night and bootstrapping to a £30M+ exit
- 18:15 - Raising venture capital for Trumpet
- 19:15 - Strategies for creating traction without a product
- 26:45 - Current seed funding landscape
- 30:07 - Intro to Sequel, a unique investment platform for professional athletes
- 36:03 - Angel investing and what Nick looks for in founders
- 38:10 - The importance of non-ego founders and realistic growth projections
ABOUT NICK TELSON-SILLETT
Nick Telson-Sillett is a seasoned entrepreneur with success in both bootstrapped and VC-backed startups. He co-founded Design My Night, which he bootstrapped to a £30+ million exit, and is currently leading Trumpet, a venture-backed B2B SaaS company. Nick is also involved with Sequel, an innovative platform connecting professional athletes with startup investment opportunities.
Nick's diverse experience offers a unique and valuable perspective on the startup ecosystem. He's active on LinkedIn, regularly sharing insights and lessons from his entrepreneurial journey.
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