If you want to bootstrap your business, fundraising is not an option. Not now. Not ever. There’s no in-between. Either you raise or you don’t. Building a real business requires your full attention. If fundraising sits in the back of your mind, even as a fallback option, it
From an early age, we’re told where to go, what to do, and how to do it. Even in spaces without direct orders, fixed rules and constraints shape both work and play. We’re not taught to direct ourselves. But as a founder, a maker, a creator, there are
As a bootstrapped founder, your first and most important milestone is ramen: zero to ramen. Ramen profitability means you generate enough revenue to keep the lights on. You live for another day on your own terms. At least if you live frugally—think instant noodles, not gourmet dinners. Reaching the
You don’t need permission. There’s no approval process. No one has to give you the green light—no one but you. You decide what to create, when to create, how to create. For whom, and why. You decide what to ship, when to ship, and what “done” looks
When you work to make an impact, done is better than perfect. Perfection is a never ending chase. If you wait for things to be perfect, you’ll never get where you wanna go. Perfection is a moving target. It won’t get you anywhere. The maker knows that work
Your job is not secure. Your career isn’t safe. It might feel that way today, but things change. Things will change. Eventually, anyway. Companies rise and fall. Skills become commodities. There’s no such thing as stability in a world of constant change. If you don’t adapt, if
When you want to move the needle, when you want to make real progress, you need action. No one will do it for you. It’s on you to get the job done. The world will teach you to be thorough, to wait for the “right” move before making any.
Today is day one. You’re not bound by who you were, what you did, or what happened yesterday. Not by any plans you might have for the future. You’re not trapped by dogma or other people’s opinions. Not by who they think you are or who they
You’ll be figuring things out for a while, and that’s okay. Figuring things out is part of the process. And follow the process we must, to achieve real progress. Anyone who’s ever built or done something meaningful, has done so through trial and error. Their own trial
There are people on a similar journey to yours, a few steps behind where you are today. Just as there are others a few steps ahead. The person ahead has faced obstacles like those you’re facing now. And the ones you face today, someone else will face them tomorrow.
Stop daydreaming about what you could do, should do. Who you could be, would be. If you want to make change happen, you have to get out of your head. Otherwise, you’ll end up full of regret. For not trying, not taking the leap. Life happens on the outside.
It’s easy to fall prey to mainstream thinking and conventional wisdom. To think you need all the things to be “successful.” The car, the house, the diploma, the money. To follow other people's dreams. But success isn’t one-size-fits-all. There is no single definition. In fact, you