In this episode, Mark Shepherd, founder of London Tech Drinks and Gathr, shares his unconventional path from selling boat photos at 14 to building one of London's most influential tech communities. Mark challenges the startup orthodoxy of chasing unicorn valuations, making a compelling case for bootstrap-first strategies and sustainable growth.

Key insights include why founders should validate with Figma prototypes before building expensive tech, how the fundraising treadmill forces unicorn aspirations, and why Mark targets £20-30M exits over billion-dollar dreams. He also discusses the formulaic nature of business building, the importance of patience in finding the right growth channels, and how expanding to new markets like the US requires starting from "day dot" again.

Whether you're debating your first fundraise or questioning the bigger-is-better mentality, Mark's perspective offers a refreshing alternative to Silicon Valley's growth-at-all-costs culture.