Bottom-Line Sobriety

Susan Feldman, co-founder of One Kings Lane, recalls a tough turning point when the home-decor business had to turn its focus away from unfettered growth and toward bottom-line profitability. Speaking with Tina Seelig, professor of the practice in Stanford’s Department of Management Science & Engineering, Feldman contrasts the freedom that came with bootstrapping versus the obligations to investors once they became stakeholders.