The drop in VC enthusiasm and risk tolerance seems to be continuing into 2024. Crunchbase points out that early-stage startup funding decreased again in 2023. For many venture-funded startups it’s been a frustrating time. Nervous funders who were enthusiastic earlier in the year are now pressing cost reductions, driving layoffs, threatening competitors, and leading fire sales or business closures. Patience is thin on both sides, with many founders choosing to bootstrap rather than pursue additional investment. In fact, the Human Cloud Freelance Trend Tracker points out that only a small minority of founders in the freelance space are seeking VC investment in 2024.