Bootstrapping vs. fundraising and growing talent resourcefully

Written By Product Advisory Collective

PAC’s Exited Entrepreneurs in Residence (EEIRs), Shama Pagarkar and Sharon Gillenwater, founded, built, grew and sold their B2C and B2B tech startups to Walmart and Euromoney plc., respectively. EEIRs share their insights and lessons learned during monthly On the Record (OTR) / Off the Record (OTR) conversations. During the first half hour of PAC’s inaugural OTR/OTR EEIR conversation, moderated by PAC leader Mary Beth Snodgrass, Sharon and Shama cover:

  • Fundraising and bootstrapping experiences as founders, including why one of them will never fundraise again, an acrobatic talent bootstrapping founders must develop and why they founded their startups

  • Growing and retaining talent internally by cultivating talent, creating new roles and being resourceful

  • Hiring externally, including key characteristics to look for and how to evaluate them

What are On the Record (OTR) / Off the Record (OTR) conversations?

The first half hour of each OTR/OTR is recorded, and clips of the recording are shared online ("On the Record"). The second part is an unrecorded, private Q&A with invited attendees (Off the Record").

Interested in joining our next OTR/OTR with EEIRs? Email us to request an invite.

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Product Advisory Collective
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