Raising a first round versus staying bootstrapped

Our two-person company sells scheduling software to physiotherapy clinics and has reached modest profitability. Investors approached us after a local pitch event, offering a seed round that would let us hire four people and expand abroad.

Growth would be faster, but we would give up a meaningful share and face pressure for rapid scaling in a niche market. Bootstrapping keeps control yet limits our speed. Founders who faced this choice: what made you raise or not, and how do you feel about the decision years later?