How do you exponentially grow your company while keeping your culture grounded? It sounds like a contradiction, yet, that’s the very secret of success behind one of the tech industry’s fastest-growing companies.

In the last six years, CB Insights has gone from just a few million in revenue to healthy 8-figure millions in revenue, growing at a rate of about 100% YoY for the last few years. Despite having raised $10M in funding in 2015, they’ve built their product without touching it. And according to Jonathan Sherry, co-founder and COO of CB Insights, that’s worked wonders not only for their accounts but also for their culture.

Growing on revenue, not VC, means we control our own destiny. Our refusal to light money on fire kept us at the top of our game in 2016, and 2017 was even better. Our balance sheet is stronger than it’s ever been, and our culture is too.