At OpenSource DB, we didn’t begin with pitch decks or polished cap tables. We began with a bold question:
“What if Open-source had a real home in India, and what if PostgreSQL led the way?”
We chose to stay bootstrapped, not out of limitation, but out of intention.
Yet even while building with our own hands and resources, we had a ringside view of the funding world, observing peers pitch, raise, scale, and sometimes stumble.
That perspective shaped us.
It reminded us that belief alone isn’t enough—you need to tell your story with clarity, traction, and truth.
And whether or not you raise, you must always be ready—with vision, alignment, and conviction.
Fundraising is Storytelling
The most underestimated part of raising isn’t the cap table.
– It’s the narrative.
– Investors don’t just back business models—they back people, purpose, and the potential for outsized impact.
– Our story at OpenSource DB was never just about a tool or a product.
– It was—and remains—about building a PostgreSQL-first ecosystem from India:
– We weren’t chasing venture rounds—we were cultivating real usage, education, and adoption
– We weren’t looking for market buzz—we were focused on deep trust, long-term engagement, and shared learning
– We weren’t just solving for tech—we were solving for representation, access, and open-source innovation
As our founder Hari Kiran says: “Charisma fades. Clarity compounds.”
A clean, grounded story built on lived reality opens more doors than any one-liner ever will.
Investor readiness without raising a rupee
Here’s the truth: you don’t need to raise to be investor-ready.
Being investor-ready means understanding your “why,” proving your “how,” and learning relentlessly from your “what.”
Even while staying bootstrapped, we prepared ourselves like any funded startup would:
Documenting vision, values, and decisions early on
Practicing transparency—especially when growth was slow or quiet
Asking ourselves (and each other):
– What makes OpenSource DB different?
– Where do we have leverage that others don’t?
– What does success look like without compromising our people?
As Hari often says:
“If the energy feels transactional, it’s a no. We’re building something for the long run.”
We were clear on the kind of capital we’d accept if we ever chose to raise:
– People who truly believe in PostgreSQL and Open-source
– People who respect our async-first, community-driven culture
– People who don’t just see India as a backend factory, but as a source of global innovation
That clarity helped us build deep relationships, even without capital exchange.
A Note to Fellow Founders
Fundraising doesn’t define you. It doesn’t validate your idea or your worth.
What matters more is the discipline of readiness, whether or not you choose to raise.
Here’s what we’ve learned:
– Fundraising is an option—not your only path
– Staying bootstrapped can sharpen your story even more
– The best investors don’t fund perfection—they fund purpose and persistence
We’re still early in our journey. But we’re proud of how we’ve chosen to grow:
With purpose, with patience, and with a story that reflects who we truly are.
This is what Journey June is about.
See you next week.
Next up: From Idea to Traction: Milestones That Matter
