Bootstrap or Bust: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to DIY Domination

Bootstrap or Bust: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to DIY Domination


Attention, entrepreneurs, lean in! "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps" – ring a bell? It's this slick saying that’s been hangin’ around since the 1800s. Get this: it pops up in this ancient physics textbook, where some brainiac is like, “What's up with not being able to defy gravity by yanking your boots?” So, fast-forward, and it's all twisted into this cash-money metaphor. And people are rolling their eyes saying, “Yeah, as if pulling in the big bucks is that simple, buddy!”

So, what’s the deal? It’s kind of like that guy in the gym who’s bench pressing a mountain and making it look easy. Yeah, he’s a beast, but he didn’t get there overnight. The term morphed from a snarky impossibility to a David Blaine-style magic trick for your bank account. It’s the art of grinding like a madman and turning pennies into Benjamins. Bootstrapping ain't for the timid, but if you’re hungry and crazy enough, it’s where legends are made. It’s not easy to do, but it’s incredibly rewarding.

Now let’s get down to brass tacks: Bootstrapping. Think of it as the Spartan Race for entrepreneurs. It’s the grind of building your startup without some venture capitalist’s deep pockets. It’s about being resourceful and leveraging what you've got. There's a buffet of knowledge out there – online courses, books, and legendary mentors. We’re talking about building an empire with sweat, tears, and your own cold hard cash but you retain control over your company's equity and decision-making.

MailChimp, Zoho, GoPro, GitHub, and more made it big as bootstrappers! They went from zero to hero, no magic VC wand.

Real recognizes real… and seasoned startup investors - they're usually ex-founders themselves - can smell the sweat and tears of true bootstrapped grit from a mile away.

It blows my mind how some peeps be like “Yo, invest in my jam” but haven’t even thrown in a nickel of their own hard-earned cash. Once they hit that sweet investor moolah, they're splurging like they hit the jackpot in Vegas. All flash, no substance. On Twitter and LinkedIn, they seem hardworking and crushing it, but if you take a peep at their Insta stories, you’ll see VIP parties and five-star sushi feasts. That’s the actual tea.

Now, let's talk bootstrapped founders. They're cut from a different cloth. Every single buck is a soldier, and they're waging war on waste. That's the intensity they bring to your table when you invest. I'm not all work, no play - a good party now and then? Absolutely. The startup grind should have its rewards. But the badges of honor? They gotta be hard-earned. Investors are in the market for the hardcore grinders, the ones pushing through the slog, day in, day out. That’s the kinda grit that’s pure gold.

Bootstrapping a startup isn't easy. It's complicated, lonesome, and frustrating. After all of the ups and downs, you might want to give up…

Don’t just be the “idea guy” or gal; be the Jack (or Jill) of all trades! Lucky for us, it’s 2023. We’re living in the future with AI sidekicks and platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, cheat codes for your startup grind.

So, what’s the play? Hunt down those free or crazy-affordable resources. Keep those purse strings tight – be the Scrooge McDuck of startups!

So, what can founders do using what they have?

First up, AIRBNB MAGIC. Listen to this hack: sub-lease your house for part of the month. AirBnB's got your back, even if you don’t own the place. There’s a catch - only some places play ball, and you're looking at about 7-days per month. If your circumstance allows it, why not couch-surf for a week? Hit up your abuelita (that’s granny!) - she’ll smother you with love and tamales. That's a win-win.

Next level move: TURO your ride. Rent that bad boy out. While you’re at it, rent out your power tools, your pool - you name it. We could write an epic saga on this alone.

Now, let’s talk GRUB. Ramen noodles? Pssht, old school. I know you’re eyeballing those free Costco samples, but here’s the master plan: sync your meals with events. Lunch = Lunch ‘n Learn. Dinner = pizza while you’re slaying at pitch competitions. You’ll be rubbing elbows with some cool folks. Not healthy? Sure, it’s not all gourmet, but since your car is now on Turo, break out the bike and burn those calories. Or check out RIDE METRO https://www.ridemetro.org. Get fit, save dough, and network like a boss!

-“Ok, OLEG! We are saving money, but we also have to make money.”

A relatively easy way to make some revenue is to sell your consulting or freelance services first in the same domain as your startup idea. Even if coding isn't your forte, there are many things you can do. For example, if you are building the next Eventbrite. Sweet! Don’t wait for the app – be the human app! Connect event hosts with sponsors and charge a service fee. You’re the matchmaker – make love happen and pocket some change. Oh, you're a techie? Heck yes! Get on that ChatGPT train and sprinkle AI magic on everything. Your neighbor’s cousin’s plumbing biz? They need that chatbot love.

All right, idea machines! Here are 7 “PRACTICAL” things I came up with…

1. Get Crafty with Free Tools: Seriously, Asana, Slack, Notion - they’re like the Avengers for your startup. Zero dollars, maximum power.

2. Accelerators are Your Rocket Fuel = Nitro Boost: Y Combinator, Techstars – it’s like getting rocket fuel for a skateboard. Let's gooo!

3. Mentors are Your Yodas: They’ve got the wisdom. LinkedIn, Twitter, coffee chats – go get that Jedi knowledge.

4. Co-Working Spaces are The Bee’s Knees: Party + Productivity: Ditch the rent. Network like a rockstar, and did someone say free coffee?

5. Outsourcing is Like Magic: At least try to clone yourself thought Upwork, Fiverr – get your clone army, and save time like a Time Lord.

6. Be a Finance Ninja: Where’s your cash going? Keep it tight. Negotiate like a pirate and DIY like MacGyver.

7. Grants and Competitions: Free Money, People!: It’s Treasure Hunting: Free cash alert! Dig into grants, and enter competitions like you’re on a game show.

Alright, rocket-networkers strap in and get to work! Your startup isn’t going to build itself. Bring the passion, bring the hustle, and make it skyrocket!

….oh, wait, one last thing. I’ve got something up my sleeve that might just be your missing puzzle piece. Sure, you might call it self-promotion, but my main goal here is to lend a hand. - LINK

SO NOW, LET’S ROCKET NETWORK!

We are using emojis to guide subscribers in our event list 📅📍

HERE ARE MY PICKS FOR THIS WEEK

Monday, June 12

🚀7th Annual Energy Drone & Robotics Summit

Ion Open Accelerator: Digital Media Kits

🚀Minority Code Launch

Tuesday, June 13

🚀Cup of JoeY - Sugar Land

🚀7th Annual Energy Drone & Robotics Summit

Ion Prototyping Lab Office Hours

Nonprofit Startup Organization Meet-up

🦄💰Investor Studio Series: VC Due Diligence Best Practices

Wednesday, June 14

🚀Poptarts & Pitches

🚀7th Annual Energy Drone & Robotics Summit

EmpowerDWeb Panel | Supported by Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web

The Sesh Speakeasy: June

Thursday, June 15

Female Founders and Funders Meetup

🚀Born Global Circle time: tokenizing real world assets

🚀Celebrating Identity In Angel Investing

Friday, June 16

🚀🚀🚀 Cup of Joey

Juneteenth Freedom Golf Tournament

🚀⚡ATCE Energy Startup Competition Information Session

Aramco Ventures Office Hours at the Ion

🚀🌶️Entrepreneurship & Elections: A Conversation with Andrew Yang!

Community Ask and Founder Spotlight

Congrats to Chris Buckner, Lowson Gow, and the rest of the team. They recently announced that Pokatok and the City of Houston are partnering to bring the world's largest sports festival to Houston in April of 2024!! - LINK. This conference could put Houston on the map for sports tech startups. This will be a massive win for H-town!

Meet MobilityZ Health, the game-changer in orthopedic telemedicine. This SAAS platform empowers specialists with tools to analyze, screen, and diagnose musculoskeletal injuries remotely. Speed and accessibility are its trademarks, as patients get early and efficient care through a digital health app. Spearheaded by the visionary Sucheshna Patil, MobilityZ Health is redefining the future of orthopedic care. Interested in this innovation? Reach out to Sucheshna on LinkedIn.

Meet Ed Nwokedi and the team at RedSwan CRE. With a combined 65 years of experience in private equity real estate and technology commerce, they've completed $7B in transactions. Their deep understanding of digital technology and blockchain position them as leaders in providing security token capital market solutions. If you are interested in streamlined and efficient commercial real estate investment, reach out to them.

Meet Henry M. Banh, a stalwart Marine Corps Veteran who has now embarked on a mission in the digital realm with LinkMode Digital Marketing. His acumen in digital marketing is paralleled by his commitment as an Ambassador of Bunker Labs - Houston Chapter. Serving as a beacon for veteran founders, Henry is the linchpin you need for insights and connections. If you know any veteran founders or are one yourself, Henry M. Banh is the man to talk to. Connect with him and witness the synergy of service and entrepreneurship.