Before you commit a workflow to a piece of software, it is worth knowing how the company behind it pays its bills. You do not need the cap table. The pricing page usually gives it away.
Signs of a bootstrapped product
Prices start higher and there is rarely a generous free tier. Plans are simple, often two or three of them, and they have not changed much in a year. Support is a real feature rather than an upsell. The company is trying to be profitable per customer from day one, because nobody is covering the gap.
Signs of a funded product
A free tier that feels too good, aggressive annual discounts, an enterprise tier with no published price, and frequent repackaging. Growth is the priority, so acquisition is subsidised. This is not sinister — it is what the funding is for — but it has consequences.
What each means for you
Bootstrapped products change slowly and price predictably. You are less likely to get a surprise, and less likely to get a rapid stream of new capability. Funded products move faster and are cheaper up front, but the pricing you sign up on is more likely to be re-cut once growth targets change. The generous free tier is the thing most often withdrawn.
The practical test
Ask what happens to your data if you leave. A company confident in its economics will have a clean export and will tell you about it. One that makes export awkward is telling you it expects to rely on lock-in rather than on being worth the money.
