The Founder’s Paradox: How Do You Build a Company Without Venture Capital When People Want to Give You Lots of Money?

“Can we grab a cup of coffee?” For some reason, this has become the casual beverage of choice for venture capitalists and just about anyone else who wants to get together and talk “growth.” But I do not drink coffee. And I have been pretty clear that our company is not looking for outside funding.

Aha! is growing fast, wildly profitable, and yes — we did it all without any funding. We are proud of that and will do our best to continue on the same path.

When I tell people this, I usually get...