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  • September 2021 (Revised December 2023)
  • Case
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On the Bubble: Startup Bootstrapping

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Tom Quinn and Annelena Lobb
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:12
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Abstract

Bubble was a software company in the low-code/no-code market, making tools that allowed users without traditional programming backgrounds or technical skills to build software. The case covers cofounder Joshua Haas’s engineering background, as he experienced a high demand for coding expertise in the startup community, but a low supply of coders. It then outlines his founding, with cofounder Emmanuel Straschnov, of Bubble in 2012, and their subsequent bootstrapping for six years until 2018, when a well-known tech entrepreneur and angel investor offered them an attractive financing deal. The case covers Bubble’s product-led growth, or a singular focus on the product (as opposed to investing in sales and marketing) as a strategy for user acquisition and retention. The case also covers the difficulties of hiring new employees, and Bubble’s strategy for building a team.

Keywords

Business Startups; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; Business Plan; Disruption; Transformation; Trends; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Relationship Management; Cost vs Benefits; Decisions; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Equity; Executive Compensation; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Disruptive Innovation; Technological Innovation; Job Interviews; Growth and Development Strategy; Ownership Stake; Opportunities; Applications and Software; Technology Adoption; Technology Industry; Web Services Industry; New York (city, NY); California; France

Citation

Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Tom Quinn, and Annelena Lobb. "On the Bubble: Startup Bootstrapping." Harvard Business School Case 822-033, September 2021. (Revised December 2023.)
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About The Author

Jeffrey J. Bussgang

Entrepreneurial Management
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Related Work

    • March 2022 (Revised October 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    On the Bubble: Startup Bootstrapping

    By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Tom Quinn
    • September 2021 (Revised December 2023)
    • Faculty Research

    On the Bubble: Startup Bootstrapping

    By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Tom Quinn and Annelena Lobb
Related Work
  • On the Bubble: Startup Bootstrapping By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Tom Quinn
  • On the Bubble: Startup Bootstrapping By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Tom Quinn and Annelena Lobb
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