| I started a company (sole founder) a few years ago. We were mildly successful, and have a handful of employees and are breaking even. We never raised money, and I think the company could continue to grow organically on its own, growing revenues maybe 10% a year. As CEO, I'm taking an under-market salary for several years, which has taken its toll on me and my family. The company is in a position where the team in place can probably grow it organically, and have a nice, comfortable workplace. I do not think there's much opportunity to raise funds, and even if we did, I think traditional investors would be disappointed by the returns. Worse, it would lock me in for a few more years. I also don't know if anything I do personally is going to change the trajectory of the company. I've certainly tried. I'm a fairly senior developer, and live in an area where tech jobs are easy to come by. I would like to keep my company going (giving most of my salary back towards growing the business + improving staff salaries) but I'd like to go back to a more normal role with market pay + benefits. Trying to figure out how to navigate this without disrupting my company or scaring off future employers. Would love any advice or feedback. |
My guess is that if you are a developer, then you probably aren't focusing enough on sales with your ceo hat on.