Raising capital isn’t just about pitch decks and calculating your valuation. It’s a mix of strategy, timing, resilience, and the kind of lessons one can learn only by being in the room. It also raises a fundamental question many founders grapple with: Does taking outside capital mean giving up control of your company? In this candid conversation, founders who have raised significant capital will unpack what to consider before bringing on investors, how ownership, governance, and long‑term vision can shift once you invite others to the table, and everything in between. Together, they reveal the real lessons behind their biggest raises and what it takes to stay in the driver’s seat while scaling big.