Why Smart Entrepreneurs Are Skipping Venture Capital

When I first met Bryan Papé, co-founder and CEO of MiiR, the reusable water bottle and lifestyle company, in 2016, a lot of direct-to-consumer brands were raising massive amounts of venture capital. By 2018, footwear maker Allbirds had raised over $75 million. Athletic apparel startup Outdoor Voices had raised nearly $57 million. Bryan and his wife, Rebecca, had built their Seattle-based startup differently. READ MORE