In the startup world, the narrative around venture funding can be loud and pervasive — pitch decks, seed rounds, Series As, term sheets. But there's another path that is equally bold, if less glamorized: bootstrapping.

We spoke with three founders — Roger, Naresh, and Yvonne — each at different stages and sectors, but united by their decision to bootstrap. Here’s what we learned from their candid reflections, and why bootstrapping might just be the most underrated superpower in startup building.

While the startup world often grabs headlines with its rapid growth and innovation, a quieter but equally exciting opportunity exists in traditional small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). For Eric Koh, Co-founder and CEO of GenCap, a search fund focused on acquiring and managing SMEs, this lesser-explored space represents an untapped frontier. In this conversation with Elena Chow, Eric shares his journey from being a C-suite startup leader to building a search fund, the criteria for finding the right businesses, and how startup professionals can create value in the SME world.

Transitioning from high-growth startups and global corporations to a traditional small-to-medium enterprise (SME) is not a conventional career path. Malcolm Wong, with his rich experience at BCG, Temasek and startups, took this leap into the sanitary appliance business, carving out a unique path into scaling SMEs.  In this conversation with Elena Chow, he shares the motivations, challenges, and lessons learned from his journey, offering insights for startup professionals considering a similar pivot.