Ignite Startups: Building a Startup Without Coding or Funding with Henrik Werdelin | Ep256

Episode notes

Most startup advice still assumes a world that no longer exists. Raise capital. Hire engineers. Build for scale. Chase a billion-dollar outcome. But what if the next wave of entrepreneurship looks… smaller—and bigger at the same time? That’s the paradox Henrik Werdelin is betting on. The Quiet Shift: From Unicorns to “Donkeycorns” For the last 15 years, startups have been shaped by venture capital. The goal was clear: build something massive, fast. Henrik helped play that game. He co-founded Bark (the company behind BarkBox), built multiple startups through his venture studio Prehype, and worked with Fortune 500s trying to innovate from within. And yet, after decades in the system, he’s now questioning its core assumption: Not every great business should be a venture-backed company. Instead, he’s focused on what he calls “donkeycorns” —small, profitable businesses that may never raise funding or exit, but generate real income and serve real customers. Think: * A niche fitness program for new mothers * A service helping families navigate post-death logistics * A tool analyzing your golf swing None of these are unicorns. But each could be a $1–5M business. And in aggregate?