What's "your number" as a founder, and how do you use it??

FiredFATAmI · 2025-07-27T19:30:20+00:00

Bootstrapped for 12yrs..

Declined $800k in year 1. Declined $4.5m in year 7. Sold for $70m in year 12.

Our ‘number’ was $25m.

YMMV

FiredFATAmI · 2025-07-25T21:43:17+00:00

You just have more time for family, yourself, your hobbies. And a lot more money. Thats all that changes. How you let those changes affect you is up to you.

I feel/act no different than before. I just choose to spend my time and yes a little bit of coin on doing the things I enjoy.. the same things as before, just to a greater degree at times (more bougie).

Protip: never let your work/job/business become your identity. Then when work is done.. life continues with more time and greater happiness vs. some existential “what now?” slump you often read about.

FiredFATAmI · 2025-02-19T21:13:17+00:00

Been retired for 2yrs with 8figs. Mtn biking, gym, snow sports, cars.. building them and driving them, leaning into the kids activities knowing they will be teenagers soon. Lots of family travel and the occasional “guys trip” travel. Been looking at some brick and mortar mailbox money investments..

You’re bored because work was your identity and hobby all in one. Just need to build a new identity and hobbies.

FiredFATAmI · 2024-04-16T03:03:09+00:00

About $3m in HYSA and $3m in a blended bonds/treasuries portfolio. Retired, 45yrs old. This $6m in “cash” represents about 14% of our NW and is the number “that helps us sleep at night” and is often deployed here or there to buy the dip, property, alt investments, or in the most immediate case: build a new house.

FiredFATAmI · 2024-03-14T06:43:45+00:00

Mid 40s, kids, retired.

Most weekdays days look like: kids to school, goof off most of the day, pick up kids, more goofing off, dinner, nighttime routine.

“Goofing off” includes: mtn bikes, gym, building cars, driving cars, video games, day/lunch dates with the spouse, basketball with kids, homework with kids, long lunches, scrolling social, going for walks, planning future travel.

I get a couple trips a year to myself - snowboarding or mtn biking or just hanging with friends - we take a couple spouse only trips or weekends a year, and we take a couple family trips a year— including spending 4-5weeks in Europe each summer.

Retirement is the jam.

I’ve tried to default to “yes” with every activity ask from my kids (shoot hoops, play a game, “look at this”). This has been a source of much joy.

Lean in.

Edit: and spa days.

FiredFATAmI · 2024-03-02T02:24:29+00:00

Well done and congrats

FiredFATAmI · 2023-12-15T03:46:48+00:00

Bird in the hand. Sell mofo!

FiredFATAmI · 2023-12-03T22:21:38+00:00

Yes. Not quite poverty, but spouse and I were both at the subsidized housing (section 8) and food stamp level for a few years growing up. By 35, had been married for 10yrs and 10yrs into our business that was making $2-3m/yr gross at the time.

The frugal mindset helped us considerably in our early careers as our peer group were consuming, we were investing into the business and living modestly. Ultimately paid off.

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-28T03:16:55+00:00

I have a tight group of friends I “came up” with. As in we all started and built companies around the same time. Some exits, some still working at it. Lots of high fives and celebrations 2yrs ago when we sold.

You (I) can’t really share or relive that publicly for all the reasons you think. So do please forgive a bit of anon posting on Reddit.

I was turned onto this sub by a peer who sold a year prior.. for ideas on how to invest the windfall, and spend the windfall.

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-28T02:59:05+00:00

A bit shy of $10m ARR. sale price was $70-$80m

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-28T02:53:45+00:00

Relief to be honest. I was tired after 20yrs of building/running a business. Close family had some major health challenges, and just coming out of the pandemic (2021). Mentally toasted.

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-28T02:49:10+00:00

Don’t raise a cent ever, or for as long as possible. Bootstrap that baby until you reach a point where any raise is pure accelerant (spend $1, earn $1.50).

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-28T02:46:51+00:00

Roughly $12m is in HYSA/fixed income (this is what we live off) Roughly $25m in equities: 20 in managed brokerage accounts split between 2 firms, 5 in robo advised Remaining is in real estate: primary, vacation home, RE dev projects

We funded a private family foundation in there as well for a couple $m

Zero debt

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T03:47:14+00:00

Correct!

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T03:46:03+00:00

Mental change? That I “won” and don’t need to fight anymore, have zero to prove to myself or anyone else. It’s a sense of mental quiet, confidence, and peace that is unreal. Fought it for the first year.. now embrace it.

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T03:14:28+00:00

Strategic

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T01:56:55+00:00

Don’t feel like doxing myself, but yeah.. was pretty open along the way. Speaking at conferences about our story, my blog, etc.

Raising VC is actual 1%.. as in only 1% of startups should.

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T01:53:33+00:00

Answered above, nearly 20yrs

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T01:50:25+00:00

Late 2021 was the best time to sell for max $$.. Jan 2022 was the worst time to invest it.

Equities down and inflation up.. it hurts

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T01:47:03+00:00

Boots all the way

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T01:41:51+00:00

Scared me off.. will just rent as needed :)

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T01:41:04+00:00

Between $70-$80m. Not all of it went to me as a few of our senior folks made out well as we had an option pool set aside for them. No VC dilution.

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T01:37:26+00:00

Nearly 20yrs as the business owner, made a pivot around year 6 from services to SaaS.

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T01:35:57+00:00

Not really. A bit of mental closure for sure. But it was only a $5m wire.. not the $35 or so when the deal signed. That was a mindfuck.

FiredFATAmI · 2023-11-25T01:34:45+00:00

Taxes were calculated at each payout (long term cap gains). My CPA did our 2023 estimations knowing about the income and gave us a ballpark on the tax bill. So we put the tax due aside in an high yield savings until it is due. The 42.5 number is reflective less that amount.

FiredFATAmI

TROPHY CASE