MailChimp recorded $280 million in revenue in 2015 and is on track to top $400 million in 2016, but they never raised a single dime from Venture Capital, wholly owned by Mr. Chestnut and his co-founder, Dan Kurzius — now employs about 550 people, and by next year it will be close to 700.
Raising money in Silicon Valley style, and running it the way Venture Capitalist pushes mostly teaches you bad habits from the start, and you end up being too good at spending money, via Showing-Up and also targeting Un-Natural Growth.