In the old days, we raised VC funding to grow startup companies into very big companies. Now, there’s a different way to create success for even more founders.

1. 50% of software companies on our curated Gregslist.com list of 6000 software companies do not have any outside funding. And 25% of software companies on Gregslist have just a little angel or seed funding. Fewer than 25% of all software companies on Gregslist have any outside funding. 
   
   
2. Founders are growing companies to $2M, $5M, and $10M annual recurring revenue (ARR) and selling them for 5-10x revenue valuations and more. There are 20-50 times more exits for less than $50 than all the $1B+ unicorn exits and IPOs, but we don’t hear about these incredible founder exits.
   
   
3. The massive “VC-Industrial Complex” drives regional incubators, accelerators, pitch competitions, local service providers, and global tech media to push the idea that “all tech startups should get big funding” even though big VC funding is appropriate for just 10%-20% of all software companies around the world. 
   
   
4. Startups are building high-quality software solutions for under $500K or less investment, then growing these businesses steadily and efficiently. They can grow these to $1M-$5M with savvy customer acquisition and creative frugality.
   
   
5. Savvy and happy founders who want to serve their customers and their employees in amazing ways that financial investors would never support. And create new markets that are “too small” for big venture investors.
   
   
6. Founders of a huge wave of startups outside Silicon Valley in the US, in India, Europe, and Latin America are creating growing global software companies very efficiently too.