On January 31, 2018, software developer Kevin Wellsmen sat in his office wondering which path to take his lifestyle company down. Wellsmen had developed a service as a software (SaaS) platform for a program that turns data into actionable insights for restaurants. Wellsmen's company, Diner Data, was doing well. Although it was profitable and afforded him a comfortable lifestyle, Wellsmen was aware that Diner Data's path had hit a dead-end--its organizational structure was limiting its growth. He had an offer from a venture capital investor that could help the company scale to a USD 50 million-plus valuation. However, Wellsmen would have to endure significant lifestyle costs if he chose that route, in addition to having to give up a relatively large portion of the company. Thus, Wellsmen faced a dilemma: whether to maintain the company as it was or to bring in venture capital investment to scale the company.This case highlights the issues that entrepreneurs face in deciding between pursuing a lifestyle business or a scalable venture
