I Bootstrapped My Startup with $150k Just From Pitch Events. Here's What I Learned

“The more situations you put yourself in, the luckier you get,” says Kristen Wiley, Founder & CEO of Statusphere. In her earliest days as a founder, Wiley bootstrapped over $150K from pitch events alone. Securing that funding made it possible to quit her job and pursue Statusphere full-time.

Now, she’s a successful Series Seed fundraiser, with investments from Ulu Ventures, January Ventures, and HearstLab, with a full-time team of 40 behind her. Pitch events equipped Wiley not only with capital at critical moments in Statusphere’s early-stage journey but the following lessons.

✅ The Confidence to Pitch on a Dime

“Money is nice, but so is a high quality, diverse audience that can give you real product and business feedback,” Wiley shares.

Wiley, an Orlando native, took her first trip to San Francisco for a workshop hosted by angel investor Jason Calacanis (best known for his podcast This Week In Startups and for investing in unicorn companies such as Uber, Thumbtack and Robin Hood). She was randomly selected from a room of hundreds of founders to pitch live in front of him on the spot.hose two minutes “changed the trajectory of the whole company.” Not only did Jason’s team invest, they’ve been a game-changing partner since. Wiley thanks multiple pitch events for preparing her for when that make-or-break opportunity presented itself.

✅ The Credibility to Navigate VC

“Before Statusphere, I didn’t know much about venture capital, other than maybe Shark Tank,” Wiley admits. Especially for founders starting outside of major tech hubs like San Francisco or New York, there can be a lot to learn about the VC world. Wiley agrees some of the best events include founder education, like getting to chat with other female founders &  attorneys directly to break down intimidating jargon like “SAFEs” and “convertible notes.”

Beyond prize money, Wiley reveled in the post-pitch rapport she was able to build with the judges and founder community along the way. “Fast forward a few years later: a woman who was a judge at one of our earliest competitions introduced us to one of our biggest current investors. She remembered us from that event.”

✅ The Perspective to Find the Right Investors

While pitching has taught her a lot about her own confidence as a founder, it has also taught her to look for credibility, transparency, and speed in investors. “All of the investors I’m closest with are a good partner to me,” she says. “For example, HearstLab will call me right before a big meeting and tell me who will be in it and what to prepare for. I appreciate that so much; with HearstLab, you feel like you have a true champion.”

Kristen’s success is proof that strategic pitch events can be a game-changer, especially for early-stage founders. If you’re a US-based female founder, apply to Pitch HearstLab now for your shot at $100K, support services, and the experience that’ll take you to the next level. Applications close August 8th, so don’t wait 👉 pitchhearstlab.com

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