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My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

mtlynch.io

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Re: My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

#101

Post by greenie_beans »

isjsiwndkwj wrote: post #97

Is a massively inflated ego a requirement for bootstrapping? The conversation here is centred on how others simply “do not understand how awesome I am for bootstrapping”. All veiled under a very transparent layer of self-aggrandising faux-humility. What is the deal with that? Compensating for something?

idk maybe you should try curiously reading about the experiences of other people rather than belittling them/projecting your insecurities onto them. these people are earnestly sharing their experiences, including anecdotes about how they struggle to relate in small talk with non-entrepreneuers, and here you are ironically unable to relate, proving the point. in a comically toxic manner.

Re: My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

#102

Post by switz »

rkuodys wrote: post #68
switz wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup, I always say – the hardest part of my job is that if I don't do it, nothing gets done . That copy error on the website. That minor bug. We take for granted the velocity we get by having colleagues. If I get lazy, everything grinds to a halt. And those little nits add up. But I strongly agree it's all worth it.

Can I ask you if you consider that AI changes anything about that? Since I'm embarking on the same boat, my dream is a team of AI which supports and ensures business continuity while Im on vacation or "OOO" otherwise.

If we get to the point that AI can run a complete business unencumbered then the world looks very different. At this time, I have very little confidence that AI today can operate my business untouched while OOO. Nor would I want it to. I enjoy my work and I don't trust AI to run amuck with the valuable asset that is my business.

But it certainly has helped me gain velocity working alone. My business is very hands off after ten years of automating most things and cleaning up the hot paths. Things break, but usually due to external factors that have nothing to do with me. A few support emails and hands-off monitoring is hardly a deal-breaker for me on vacation. I'm not entirely sure why zero-effort is a goal, when you can genuinely attain a 5-hour work week today.

AI is really just a tool and there's a lot of incremental room between "helpful" and "totally autonomous". This calculus could all change one day, but it's not a personal desire of mine.

Re: My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

#103

Post by move-on-by »

switz wrote: post #24
mtlynch wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Thanks for being so transparent. As a fellow solo bootstrapper, I think the thing people most often misunderstand is the relative inconsistency (income, "wins", the camaraderie, etc.) so it's nice for you to bare all. > That being said, you do get the consistency of independence and autonomy. As I watch my peers deal with crappy work environments, losing their jobs, and other bullshit, I just keep chugging along: s…

Yup, I always say – the hardest part of my job is that if I don't do it, nothing gets done . That copy error on the website. That minor bug. We take for granted the velocity we get by having colleagues. If I get lazy, everything grinds to a halt. And those little nits add up. But I strongly agree it's all worth it.

> if I don't do it, nothing gets done

I work for a midsized fintech and I feel the same way. At least about the tech side of things.

Re: My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

#105

Post by isjsiwndkwj »

greenie_beans wrote: post #101
isjsiwndkwj wrote: post #97

Is a massively inflated ego a requirement for bootstrapping? The conversation here is centred on how others simply “do not understand how awesome I am for bootstrapping”. All veiled under a very transparent layer of self-aggrandising faux-humility. What is the deal with that? Compensating for something?

idk maybe you should try curiously reading about the experiences of other people rather than belittling them/projecting your insecurities onto them. these people are earnestly sharing their experiences, including anecdotes about how they struggle to relate in small talk with non-entrepreneuers, and here you are ironically unable to relate, proving the point. in a comically toxic manner.

[dead]

Re: My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

#106

Post by apparent »

aristofun wrote: post #85

This example once again shows me that being “pure” indie solo hacker is not sustainable. You have to be first and foremost indie entrepreneur and indie salesman and only then you can afford free hacking if you have time left.

It doesn't prove the model won't work for anyone. It just shows that for this one person, it hasn't worked out awesome. I think there are some folks who end up doing quite well as solopreneurs, but they tend not to talk about it on the internet, lest their niche become more visible, which could erode their margins.

Re: My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

#107

Post by DANmode »

simgt wrote: post #75
hdjrudni wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just sold my first solo(ish) business, so I can speak to this a bit. 'ish' because I had a partner, but he was non-technical. AI is a boon. I'm currently finding it works best in apps that have established patterns but aren't enormous. If you lay some groundwork (as I did, because the AI didn't exist when I started), it's quite lovely for migrating heaps of old code and just doing all those annoying little things w…

As a technical person, how does one find a non-technical business partner? ;) I know about Entrepreneur First, but that's not for bootstrapping and has a too much of the unicorn vibe for me. The obvious is of course luck through one's social network.

Social networks are work as often as they are luck.

Be more interesting/seek out additional interesting people!

Re: My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

#108

Post by LarsDu88 »

This was a little bit shocking to me to be honest. I've built a VR game as a side project, and am currently vibecoding a sticker generation and ordering webapp. I was under the impression that the amount of revenue I made was miniscule and my side project was a failure, but it's actually very much in line with what Lynch posted here considering I've never quit my day job.

I don't think I'd have the stomach to actually go solo after understanding the risk/reward

Re: My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

#109

Post by jalapenos »

Same guy... Now eight years... One wonders at what point he will accept he's just pissing around. Or others will stop enabling him.

Impressive patience by the wife and probably other extended family, as his "carry".

Big credit for his honesty and transparency though. Good he's telling his story.

Re: My eighth year as a bootstrapped founder

#110

Post by dboon »

jwpapi wrote: post #50
switz wrote: post #12

Thanks for being so transparent. As a fellow solo bootstrapper, I think the thing people most often misunderstand is the relative inconsistency (income, "wins", the camaraderie, etc.) so it's nice for you to bare all. That being said, you do get the consistency of independence and autonomy. As I watch my peers deal with crappy work environments, losing their jobs, and other bullshit, I just keep chugging along: self-…

I get exactly what you are saying, but honestly man freedom is the best. I’m so happy every day as long as I have my computer an can work on taking over the world. Every day feels like school holidays to me

Amen.
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