<h1>Founder warns excessive equity funding and 20-30% dilution can erode long-term value, control, and product focus</h1> A founder who sold his consumer business for over $500 million argues that excessive equity funding harms long-term value, urging entrepreneurs to avoid diluting ownership for investor validation. He contrasts a bootstrapped model-full founder control, customer-led expansion, and retained equity-with venture-funded firms where 20-30% dilution and investor-led board oversight can constrain strategic decisions, impair product focus, and hinder global growth. The legal implications highlighted include governance shifts from founder to investor control, potential fiduciary conflicts between customer interests and investor return horizons, and trade-offs founders face when balancing capital, control, and fiduciary duties.