Bootstrapping Bronto: The Art of Scaling Your Startup Without Venture Capital

Your startup can be successful without venture capital.

Joe Colopy did it. So can you.

In 2002, Colopy co-founded Bronto Software and, over the next thirteen years, grew it to over $40 million in revenue and 250 employees until it was acquired for $200 million. And he did it without a dime of outside capital.

Bootstrapping Bronto not only tells Colopy’s story, sharing the hard-won lessons learned from being in the bootstrapped trenches, but also celebrates this alternative path for building a startup.

A must-read for every technology entrepreneur contemplating the pros and cons of raising capital, Bootstrapping Bronto presents Colopy’s framework for successfully starting and scaling a startup, emphasizing the importance of hustle, listening to customers, staying flexible, extending one’s financial runway, and staying persistent. Filled with inspiration and real-world examples, Bootstrapping Bronto proves you can start, grow, and sell a high-growth startup, even without venture capital!

© 2025 Houndstooth Press (Audiobook): 9781544549361

Release date

Audiobook: 24 November 2025