The Joy of Small

What’s a Bootstrapper?

Well, since you bought this manifesto, chances are that you qualify! For me, a bootstrapper isn't a particular demographic or even a certain financial situation. Instead, it's a state of mind.Bootstrappers run billion-dollar companies, nonprofit organizations, and start-ups in their basements. A bootstrapper is determined to build a business that pays for itself every day. In many ways, it's easiest to define a bootstrapper by what she isn't: a money-raising bureaucrat who specializes in using other people's money to take big risks in growing a business. Not that there's anything wrong with that…You can use the information in this manifesto to make any company more focused, more ef-ficient, and more grassroots. Throughout this manifesto, though, I'll be primarily addressing the classic bootstrapper: entrepreneurs who are working their butts off to start a great busi-ness from scratch with no (or almost no) money.

The Bootstrapper’s Manifesto

TAPE THIS TO YOUR BATHROOM MIRROR AND READ IT OUT LOUD EVERY NIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED:I am a bootstrapper.

I have initiative and insight and guts, but not much money. I will succeed because my efforts and my focus will defeat bigger and better-funded competitors. I am fearless. I keep my focus on growing the business—not on politics, career advancement, or other wasteful distractions.I will leverage my skills to become the key to every department of my company, yet realize that hiring experts can be the secret to my success. I will be a fervent and intelligent user of technology, to conserve my two most precious assets: time and money.My secret weapon is knowing how to cut through bureaucracy. My size makes me faster and more nimble than any company could ever be.