<p><span style="background-color: transparent;">Most founders don’t need venture capital — they just need the truth about their options. In this episode, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregheadaz/" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Greg Head</a><span style="background-color: transparent;">, Founder of </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/practical-founders/" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Practical Founders</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> and </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/gregslist/" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Gregslist</a><span style="background-color: transparent;">, shares why most founders don’t need to follow the venture capital path to succeed —and how alternative strategies often lead to better outcomes. Greg draws on three decades of software industry experience and his deep network of over 500 founders and investors to challenge the funding-first mindset.&nbsp;</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">Specifically, Greg shares:</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">00:00 Introduction</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">03:30 Founders should not take VC funding without knowing the risks.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">12:00 Startups were once wild bets — now many founders misread VC expectations.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">20:06 Software is cheaper now, so VC isn’t needed to launch or grow.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">25:09 Investors outside Silicon Valley fund traction, not ideas.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">30:09 Practical companies grow with healthier habits and true independence.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">35:36 Seven paths to success start with building a profitable company.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">40:57 PE firms are buying revenue for faster IPO leverage.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">47:29 Every founder can win in their own way with the path that fits them best.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">50:16 Founders used to raise millions without taking any money off the table.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">59:19 Product-market fit requires focus on the right segment and solution.</span></p><p><br></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent;">Resources Mentioned:</strong></p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregheadaz/" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Greg Head</a></p><p>https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregheadaz/</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/practical-founders/" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Practical Founders</a> | LinkedIn</p><p>https://www.linkedin.com/company/practical-founders/</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://practicalfounders.com/" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Practical Founders</a> | Website</p><p>https://practicalfounders.com/</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/gregslist/" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Gregslist</a> | LinkedIn</p><p>https://www.linkedin.com/company/gregslist/</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://gregslist.com/" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Gregslist</a> | Website</p><p>https://gregslist.com/</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://practicalfounders.com/7-success-paths-to-win-the-startup-end-game/" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Practical Founders’ Ebook – “The 7 Success Paths for Practical Founders”</a></p><p>https://practicalfounders.com/7-success-paths-to-win-the-startup-end-game/</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">This episode is brought to you by:</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">Leverage community-led growth to skyrocket your business. From Grassroots to Greatness by author Lloyed Lobo will help you master 13 game-changing rules from some of the most iconic brands in the world — like Apple, Atlassian, CrossFit, Harley-Davidson, HubSpot, Red Bull and many more — to attract superfans of your own that will propel you to new heights. Grab your copy today at FromGrassrootsToGreatness.com.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&amp;D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. 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