I've been running a small e-commerce business for two years, and I'm torn between scaling up with outside funding or staying bootstrapped. We've grown to about 50 orders a day, but investors keep pushing for rapid expansion, which feels risky when I see how market trends shift. Some founders I know swear that taking venture capital is the only way to survive competition, while others regret losing control. Is external investment necessary for a startup to truly succeed, or can slow, self-funded growth win in the long run?