We realized that to grow our business, we needed to raise capital, as we had no money in the bank after three years of operation, and we didn't want to remain a lifestyle business.

When we approached our investors, we clearly communicated that our intent was not to use most of the capital raised for funding receivables, but rather to create a financing solution that allows us to operate effectively.

We didn't even attempt to talk to investors because we had no product or clear idea of what our product should be.

When we were low on funds, I wholesaled to a key account to generate cash flow, which ultimately saved the company from going under.

We realized that if PayPal failed, it would create a massive loss of over $200 million in venture capital, so we decided to pitch our best ideas to each other, including an early version of LinkedIn.

In a pivotal meeting, I asked an investor for $25,000 to expand our operations, and he agreed without hesitation, which was a huge relief for us.

I pitched 75 investors for funding, but we faced rejection after rejection, which made me cynical about fundraising, especially during a time when no one was investing in consumer-driven businesses.

I had no choice but to bootstrap my company for the first year. I focused on optimizing for a fast and efficient fundraising process because I was warned that a long fundraising process could kill a company.

We had to build financial controls and go through audits to secure capital, which was critical for our survival against competitors with substantial cash reserves.