

Bootstrapping is thinking long, not small - awicklander
http://projectidealism.com/posts/2014/1/27/bootstrapping-is-thinking-long-not-small

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mindcrime
I couldn't agree more. I'm glad the OP took the time to write this up, as I've
been thinking something very similar recently. In fact, as recently as earlier
today, I saw some comment about bootstrapping that hinted at this
"bootstrapping == small" thing.

Sorry, but that's just wrong. TFA here nails it... going the bootstrap route
doesn't mean you don't intend to build a billion dollar business, it just
means that, if you do, you plan to do it on your schedule, not a VC's. That's
it.

FWIW, we're proudly bootstrapped / self-funded at Fogbeam Labs, and anybody
who knows me can tell you that I don't do small dreams. As far as I'm
concerned, we're on our way to being a public company with a multi-billion
dollar market cap. I can't tell you when we'll get there, but that's the goal.

Now, that said... I don't think "bootstrapped" or "not bootstrapped" is
something that's intrinsic and unchangeable. We haven't taken any outside
money yet, but I'm not saying we _never_ will. We might do it tomorrow if the
circumstances dictate that it's the right thing to do, relative to our goals.
Or maybe next year. Maybe never. Outside money is just a tool, like a
screwdriver or an Open Source library... we may need that particular tool, we
may not. If we do, we'll use it. If not, we won't use it just for the sake of
using it.

~~~
DerekH
Thanks for sharing. I particularly like your comment, "We haven't taken any
outside money yet, but I'm not saying we never will."

It's also important to really believe in what you're doing, funded or not. You
don't get a special medal for taking money or by bootstrapping. You're still a
business and you're all competing.

