In this episode, we unpack the RunPod phenomenon, a startup that leveraged community and ingenuity to reach $120M in ARR. We discuss their unconventional fundraising, rapid expansion, and vision for AI development. Chapters 00:00 RunPod's Origin Story 02:38 Bootstrapped to Enterprise 08:28 Competitive AI Cloud Market 11:25 Modern Startup Funding In this episode, we explore the incredible journey of RunPod, an AI cloud startup that bootstrapped to $24 million in revenue before raising a $20 million seed round and reaching $120 million in annual recurring revenue. We also discuss how they acquired early investors and customers, including from a Reddit post and their customer support chat. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to RunPod 01:55 RunPod's Origin Story 05:07 Launch and Growth Strategy 10:05 Future of Software Development Links • Get the top 40+ AI Models for $20 at AI Box: ⁠⁠https://aibox.ai: https://aibox.ai • AI Chat YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JaedenSchafer: https://www.youtube.com/@JaedenSchafer • Join my AI Hustle Community: https://www.skool.com/aihustle: https://www.skool.com/aihustle