From Bootstrap to $100M: How Lion Energy Built an Energy Revolution | Tyler Hortin
March 25, 2025
In this episode of Small Business Black Holes, host Alan Pentz sits down with Tyler Hortin, Co-founder of Lion Energy, to explore bootstrapping a technology company from zero to $100M, managing rapid growth while maintaining profitability, and revolutionizing home and commercial power solutions. Whether you're scaling a product-based business or seeking insights on sustainable growth strategies, this conversation dives deep into the challenges of building teams, allocating capital, and maintaining quality through explosive growth phases.
Tune in to discover how strategic reinvestment and disciplined product development can drive consistent business expansion.
• Bootstrapping growth from startup to $100M in revenue
• Balancing product development with profitability
• Strategic approaches to hiring and team scaling
• Managing multiple sales channels and product lines
• Navigating manufacturing decisions and supply chain challenges
In this episode of Small Business Black Holes, host Alan Pentz sits down with Tyler Hortin, Co-founder of Lion Energy, who shares his journey of growing a bootstrapped emergency power solutions company from its founding in 2012 to $100 million in revenue, focusing on sustainable growth, product innovation, and strategic decision-making.
What You'll Learn:
- How to scale a bootstrapped business through disciplined reinvestment and strategic product development
- The essential balance of managing growth while maintaining profitability in a capital-intensive business
- Why quality control and extensive product testing are crucial for maintaining customer trust and reducing returns
- How to navigate the transition from product-focused to technology-driven business model
- The framework for making strategic decisions about product development and R&D investment
- Why distributed power storage solutions are becoming critical infrastructure beyond environmental benefits
- How to manage the crucial challenge of scaling your team alongside rapid business growth
- The importance of balancing multiple sales channels while maintaining product quality and customer experience
Highlights:
[5:12] Disciplined Bootstrapped Growth Strategy
[09:52] Product Development Funding Framework
[13:17] Quality-First Testing Protocol
[20:36] People-Centric Growth Management
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