Freedom by George Pu
Brex Just Sold for $5.15 Billion. Here's What That Actually Means
Nobody's talking about the other number. $12.3 billion. That's what Brex was worth in January 2022. Four years ago.
·11 min
Freedom by George Pu — 8-week founder program
May 5, 2022. 7:56pm. Salad King restaurant, Toronto.
I sat there reading the rejection email, and I realized I hated myself.
Not for failing. For chasing something that was never mine to begin with.
Five YC applications. Three interviews. Zero acceptances. Three years of my life optimizing for investors who never gave me a dollar.
I'm George Pu.
27 years old. Immigrant from China. Building from Toronto since I was 17.
In 2017, I arrived at the University of Waterloo barely understanding how Canadian banks work.
But I was convinced I'd build the next big thing.
I devoured every YC video.
Every Paul Graham essay.
Every startup podcast.
I thought if I just followed the formula, I'd make it.
What I didn't realize:
The formula was written for someone else entirely.
2019-22
5 YC apps
0 accepts
2022
Rock bottom
$350K deal collapsed
2022
The pivot
$29 → $2K/mo
Now
$2.35M
Zero investors
The moment I stopped trying to raise VC and started charging clients directly, everything changed.
Read the full story in The Anti-Unicorn
The book behind this philosophy
The math nobody showed me
0.05%
of startups ever raise VC.
The path everyone optimizes for almost nobody gets.
Or...
10 clients × $10K/mo
= $1.2M/year
You keep 100%. Forever. No permission needed.
Two founders. Same 7 years. Different endings.
The "Successful" VC Founder
Top 25% outcome. Most do worse.
Seed round85% → 75%
Series A75% → 55%
Series B55% → 35%
Employee pool35% → 25%
Co-founder split25% → 12%
$40M acquisition→ VCs take $25M first
Your take-home after 7 years
$1.8M
$257K/year. Your senior engineer made more.
Divorced. Burned out. "Success story."
The "Boring" Bootstrap Founder
No TechCrunch. No Twitter clout.
Year 1$120K revenue
Year 2$300K revenue
Year 3$600K revenue
Year 4-7$800K-1.2M/yr
Ownership100%
Profit margin60-70%
Cash in bank after 7 years
$3-4M
Actual money. Not paper. No permission needed.
Still owns 100%. Still running. Still free.
The "failure" ends up 2× richer than the "success."
And nobody had to approve their vacation days.
So I stopped playing their game.
Here's what I built instead.
Founders who raised millions
$12M
raised
Toronto SaaS founder
4 years. 80-hour weeks. Series A. Couldn't raise B.
Shut down. Founder got $0.
Me (zero investors)
$2.35M
cumulative revenue
0
investors
100%
ownership
6
years running
Work when I want. Control everything. No permission needed.
The Anti-Unicorn Institution
Freedom by George Pu
What is it?
8-week intensive. I personally help you build a profitable business you own 100%.
15-20 founders2x/week callsDaily async
What's the goal?
Your revenue
$10-50K/mo
Or a clear path there in 6 months. You keep 100%.
Who is this for?
- Post-AI business builders
- Skills worth $5K+/mo to monetize
- Done with the VC lottery
The Room
15-20 founders
Live Calls
Real-time, not recordings
100% Yours
No equity taken
Proven
$2.35M built this way
From zero to revenue
8 Weeks
WEEK 1-2
Foundation
Know exactly what to build
WEEK 3-4
Strategy
90-day action plan ready
WEEK 5-6
Execution
First paying customers
WEEK 7-8
Momentum
Repeatable revenue system
Walk out with a business, not just knowledge
2-5 free spots every cohort
Apply free. Get in free (maybe).
Every cohort, we select 2-5 exceptional founders for $0. Not scholarships — selection.
Selected (Free)
Exceptional. $0.
Conditional Offer
Strong fit. $5-20K.
Not This Time
Try next cohort.
75-80% rejection rate. I review every application personally.
Conditional Offers
If selected for a paid spot, choose your level of access.
Sprint
Group-based intensive
$5-7K
USD one-time
- Daily async accountability
- Group calls 2x/week with George
- 15-20 founder cohort community
- Full 8-week structured program
Self-driven founders who thrive in groups
DetailsMost personalized
Coached
1:1 + group intensive
$15-20K
USD one-time
- Everything in Sprint, plus:
- Dedicated 1:1 calls with George
- Async priority support (24-48hr)
- Deep-dive strategy sessions
Complex situations needing 1:1 guidance
DetailsAfter Week 8: Alumni Network — $150 USD/month for ongoing community and lifetime access.
Questions
Ready to build something you own?
8 weeks. Real accountability. Keep 100%.
Free to apply•2-5 free spots per cohort•48-hour response
Essays on Freedom
View all
Freedom by George Pu
Nothing Wrong With More Options
A few years ago I pitched a VC in Menlo Park. Their second-to-last question: "You're working on two companies at the same time. How does that work? Aren't you unfocused?" I explained one was an experiment while I spent most of my time on SimpleDirect. They passed. I could have taken ANC off my profile. I didn't. Other pitches, same question came up. Podcast appearances, same thing. "How do you stay focused?" The assumption behind the question: focus is good, optionality is bad. One thing, al
·2 min
George's Takes
Your BS Detector Is a Skill
I got lied to a lot when I started. Took me years to realize that's just what happens when you're young, have money to spend, and can't tell the difference between confidence and competence. My BS detector needed training. The only way to train it was getting burned. The Education When networking was still a thing in my world, I'd go to events and meet people. Everyone looked impressive. Everyone had something to say. I had mentors who'd guide me. I believed everything they said. I didn't
·4 min