Done with Pitching VCs? Alternative Funding for Founders Who Want More Control
Alternative funding for founders is changing startup finance. Learn why more entrepreneurs are stepping away from VC pitches.
5-minute read
It’s an unexpected place to find signs of a recession: beauty tutorials, podcast clips, and curated beach getaways. Yet beneath the surface of aesthetic feeds, many digital creators are navigating increasing financial pressure as the economy sends mixed signals.
Brands are tightening budgets. Consumers are cutting back. Creator income, already unpredictable, is feeling the pinch.
That tension is creating a critical inflection point.
As marketing strategist Sam Ogborn asked recently, “If [creators are] so reliant on fans to buy from them and support them, what happens when that starts to go away?”¹
It’s a timely question for founders, athletes, and creators alike, especially those who are building real businesses off their content, community, or creative expertise.
If you've been feeling the squeeze but are determined to grow anyway, there’s good news. Smart, flexible funding exists, and it doesn’t require giving up what you’ve built to get to the next level.
The creator economy continues to expand. Over 200 million people identify as creators globally, and the industry was valued at over $250 billion in 2023, projected to nearly double by 2027.²
But growth at the top doesn’t guarantee financial stability for the individual creators, athletes, or niche founders fueling that growth.
Common barriers creators face include:
Now, add inflation, rising interest rates, and reduced brand sponsorships to the mix. It’s no wonder creators are looking beyond traditional income sources and exploring new ways to fund their next chapter.
The problem isn’t that creators lack ambition. It’s that the financial systems around them weren’t designed with creators in mind.
Talented entrepreneurs are stuck trying to scale with limited resources and no capital solutions that reflect the reality of their businesses.
As the creator economy matures, a new type of funding has emerged, one that values traction over tax returns and growth over guarantees.
Chisos is at the forefront of this shift.
Built for creators, by people who understand the realities of digital entrepreneurship, Chisos offers:
Most importantly, Chisos doesn’t ask you to give up control or hit impossible revenue targets. Instead, it aligns with your growth, offering a model that flexes as your business evolves.
The best time to explore the capital isn’t when things are perfect; it’s when your momentum is building, but friction is slowing you down.
Chisos funding could be a fit if:
For some creators, that might mean hiring help. For others, launching a course or podcast studio. The common thread: you’re not starting from scratch. You’ve built something real, and now you want to scale it.
As Justin Gordon, creator of Just Go Grind, shared:
“I knew the content I wanted to make, but didn’t have the resources to scale. Chisos gave me the breathing room to treat this like a real business. The growth followed.”⁴
Most creators don’t need to “raise a round” or write a 30-page pitch deck. They need one thing: capital that respects the business they’re building.
That’s exactly what Chisos delivers:
If you're part entrepreneur, part artist, Chisos meets you where you are and helps you go further.
A slowing economy doesn't mean you have to slow down. If anything, it’s an opportunity to invest in what’s already working.
With Chisos, you can:
Let this be the moment you stop waiting for conditions to improve and start building the future you want, on your terms.
👉 Apply now at Chisos.io and secure the funding you need to grow, even in uncertain times.
