Ep. 30: How to Find the Right Chief Technical Officer for Your Startup and How a Service-Based Company Got $3 Million Funding with Frank Licea of Howdy.com

In this episode, Frank Licea talks about his employee-to-entrepreneur journey and the unexpected fundraising success of Howdy.com as a service-oriented company that raised $18 million in funding. He also shares his perspective as a Chief Technical officer and how bootstrapping has helped them create an upper hand during fundraising pitches and negotiations. HERE ARE SOME KEY POINTS IN THIS EPISODE: 04:50 - The early days: Bootstrapping and growth 09:51 - Y Combinator and strategy shifts 24:06 - Getting seed money and managing investors 29:53 - Life after Y Combinator and revenue talk 39:17 - Frank's advice for new founders This episode is sponsored by ThunderVC, an investment bank for founders by founders. Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders  Raising debt? Find the perfect lender in minutes here: https://debt.thunder.vc Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips - https://join.thunder.vc ABOUT FRANK Frank is the Chief Technical Officer of Howdy.com who took on Austin's tech talent shortage head-on with a platform in Latin America for recruiting devs and customer support staff. If you're interested in the bootstrapping process or have other startup queries, feel free to reach out to Frank on these platforms: Website:Howdy.com Email: [email protected] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklicea/ ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders. ABOUT JASON Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development. You can reach out to Jason through Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/