Susan Feldman, co-founder of One Kings Lane, recalls a tough turning point when the home-decor business had to turn its focus away from unfettered growth and toward bottom-line profitability. Speaking with Tina Seelig, professor of the practice in Stanford’s Department of Management Science & Engineering, Feldman contrasts the freedom that came with bootstrapping versus the obligations to investors once they became stakeholders.

Susan Feldman, co-founder of home-decor site One Kings Lane, explains why she and her fellow co-founder Alison Pincus decided to accept venture capital funding after successfully bootstrapping their startup. In conversation with Stanford's Tina Seelig, Feldman says confidence that the business was thriving and could continue to grow prompted her and Pincus to say yes to outside money from investors.

One Kings Lane Co-Founder Susan Feldman reflects on the downside of raising excess capital for the home-decor startup: It led to a false sense of security and made fiscal responsibility less of a priority. In conversation with Tina Seelig, faculty co-director at the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Feldman discusses how a startup's valuation is a fleeting figure that only signals the beginning of a new chapter.