In this episode, we sit down with Ben Clark — former Amazon and KPMG leader, and recently exited founder — to break down how he built a fast-growing tech company with zero outside investment.

Ben shares the real strategy behind scaling through frugality, strong foundations, and hiring the best people, even when resources are limited. He talks about facing “cliff moments,” managing engineers, and making smart decisions when your needs grow faster than your team.

If you’re a founder trying to grow without funding, struggling with talent allocation, or navigating the early-stage grind, this episode gives you the mindset and tools to move forward with clarity.

In this episode of Fearless Founders, Ike returns to share what he learned building his second startup — and why the journey wasn’t any easier the second time around.

He breaks down the right time to raise funding, how early-stage founders can avoid common mistakes, and why managing engineers is more about clarity and communication than technical expertise.

From navigating the psychology of a second-time founder to building culture, dealing with stress, and staying focused on customer value, this conversation is packed with practical insights for anyone growing a startup.

Tune in for a candid breakdown of funding, leadership, engineering management, and the realities of building in the AI era.

In this episode of Fearless Founders, we dive into one of the most confusing decisions every founder faces — when to raise money and whether you should raise at all. Benoy and Ike break down the realities behind VC funding, from understanding if your business truly needs outside capital to navigating the distractions, trade-offs, and loss of control that come with investor expectations.

You’ll hear candid insights on identifying the right moment to take “other people’s money,” what VCs look for at each stage, how product-market fit dramatically changes the fundraising equation, and why some of the most successful founders bootstrapped their way to millions.

A practical, honest conversation on funding, focus, and scaling — and how to keep your head clear while managing engineers, growth, and the pressure to fundraise.