Bootstrapping Slice to $1B+ in GMV | Ilir Sela

Ilir Sela, Founder & CEO of Slice, grew up with pizza in his DNA—his family ran pizzerias in NYC, so he knew the grind inside out.Watching mom-and-pop pizza shops get left behind, he bootstrapped MyPizza in 2009.What started with Ilir entering orders in a Starbucks has grown into Slice—a platform now driving $1B+ in GMV for 20,000+ independent pizzerias, saving them $265M.Primary is proud to have backed Slice from the seed stage.In this conversation, Jason Shuman and Ilir get into:• how Slice evolved from mypizza.com• the power of bootstrapping early• how North Macedonia became a talent hub for Slice• why even 1% M-O-M churn can cripple your startupABOUT US: Primary is the largest early-stage venture firm in the world, with over $1B in Assets Under Management, and notable investments under its belt include unicorns like Slice, Chief, Electric, and more. With a dedicated team of Partners, Associates, and Advisors, Primary operates with one clear modus operandi: to allocate unreasonable resources toward building unfair advantages. Follow us on LinkedIn: Ilir SelaJason ShumanPrimary Venture Partners(00:00) Trailer(01:33) The Rise of Slice and Its Macedonian Roots(06:08) Family Legacy in the Pizza Business(14:22) The Birth of Nerdforce(22:12) The Evolution of MyPizza to Slice(30:21) Vertical vs Horizontal Platforms(33:49) Building a Strong Sales Culture(39:43) The Role of AI in SMB Tech(45:42) Venturing into Supplies and VC Funding