Comment by switz
15 days ago
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-directed and happy to not have to answer to anyone.
I've found it tough to talk about being a solo bootstrapper though. People don't seem all that interested in it until you catch them in the right light or perspective. Mostly they just care to know how much money you make (which to me ends up being rather shallow), or they can't relate to the process since it's so divorced from the traditional path. I mostly just keep my head down and keep working, since that's what I enjoy the most.
> 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-directed and happy to not have to answer to anyone.
Yes, I completely agree.
Bootstrapping, you realize that employment smooths out a lot of issues for you. Like if you're sick for two weeks as an employee, maybe it hurts your OKRs, but you'll be fine. If you're sick for two weeks as a solo founder, that can be catastrophic. And if you need to do something like take parental leave for six months, the company can't just continue on without you like it could if you worked for a large company.
But as you said, you get the consistency of being your own boss and directing your own time, which more than makes up for it for me.
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.
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> 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.
Most people start side-businesses for tax reasons, and those that seek others to solve their problems for them... usually don't last long in business.
I've witnessed many firms run the gauntlet with varying levels of success, and would suggest the following:
1. sell what the customer already wants, as people with loss aversion stick with what they already know.
2. sell what makes customers feel good buying, and reward them with actual functional utility in their life
3. Never compete, focus on service with a novel niche product. Stupid people by their nature destroy everything around them regardless of long term benefit.
4. Never hire people unless absolutely necessary, and contract with tax responsibility clauses when possible.
5. Never buy equipment unless absolutely necessary, or lease when possible
6. Never enter legal or subscription agreements even with your own legal specialists feedback
7. Never become a poser burning $170k/month on labor in a vestigial office
8. Position your firm to leverage tax and grant programs
9. Stay quiet (especially online in a sea of cons), and only talk about the distant past when people try to goad you into telling them how you make revenue
10. Avoid bums in suits as many are dangerous well practiced thieves. Never let technical staff talk with the customers, or vendors. Some people go crazy when they see a bit of money, and do not behave rationally.
11. There must only be 1 president, and all agreements must be in contract form.
12. Never risk more than 15% of annual revenue on ANY deal. Customers lie and disappear on rare occasion... Large firms can grab your firm like a dog with a rag doll, and may still stiff you on the contract knowing the legal and fiscal power asymmetry
13. Chasing customers means your business model still needs work. If people are happy with what you are providing, than growth should naturally happen every year
14. Go to trade shows to see what other people are selling, and ask yourself what else does the customer need
15. Cash is king, as long as the money flows most other problems are irrelevant
Best of luck, =3
Thanks for sharing. Would you mind expanding on a few points?
> 2. sell what makes customers feel good buying
What did you have in mind? What would make a purchase feel good or bad for a customer?
> 3. Never compete, focus on service with a novel niche product. Stupid people by their nature destroy everything around them regardless of long term benefit.
I'm not sure how the second sentence connects to the first - could you clarify what you mean there?
> 9. Stay quiet (especially online in a sea of cons), and only talk about the distant past when people try to goad you into telling them how you make revenue
You mean staying quiet about the specifics of your current products and strategy, as opposed to sharing general advice like here, right?
> Never let technical staff talk with the customers, or vendors.
Could you elaborate on the reasoning behind this?
Thanks again.
>What did you have in mind?
Whether computational efficiency for traditional problems on a bizarre Neuromorphic computing architecture would remain feasible.
>What would make a purchase feel good or bad for a customer?
An intangible asset heavily associated with brand reputation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_(accounting)
The business reasons deal with pricing fluctuations and human behavior.
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_the_surprising_science...
>could you clarify what you mean there?
Difficult to put a thesis on a road sign, but in general people make mistakes when building a business:
i. desperately grasping at low hanging fruit in a fragmented market. Where people burn enormous amounts of cash to bid down their own sectors perceived value.
ii. trying to innovate their way out of a bad business plan, instead of studying the market for what folks actually wanted.
iii. cognitive offloading, and premature labor cost-minimization using LLM isomorphic plagiarism to poison public discourse
https://harmful.cat-v.org/people/basic-laws-of-human-stupidi...
>You mean staying quiet about the specifics of your current products
One wants to limit contact with potential competitors/cloners, and focus on paying customers in a sales context.
>Could you elaborate on the reasoning behind this?
Flagging a "liability" is part of managing good workmanship standards:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/26184/26184-h/26184-h.htm
Some people are ignorant, some are evil, and some are naive... One can't afford to make a distinction when restructuring divisions. =3
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Concerning independence and autonomy, I ruefully recall hearing the saying “You get to work your own hours … as long as it’s all of them.”
There is a word play in German: „Selbstständig bedeutet selbst und ständig.“ - Self-employed means yourself, continuously.
Some people do that but it is more of a choice than you might expect. For most of the twenty six years I was doing it I rarely worked more than three or four hours a day.
I know it as 'Being self employed is great, you control your own time and can choose any 80 hours/week to work"
Be self-employed and be your own boss!
Ooops, now you have multiple bosses (each client).
With the crucial difference that now you have some leeway in firing one/some of your bosses.
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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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This is the path I want to take too. Do you find it difficult to focus on the marketing and sales side of the business rather than the building part?
It really depends on what you want to do. By the nature of being self-directed, you elect what roles you want to play. I personally don't love the marketing and sales cycles, so my current business is B2C and I don't do any marketing.
Almost all growth was done via word of mouth. There are business models whose network effects lean in this direction. In order to use my product, you must bring along peers so it's inherently 'viral'. I fell into this by accident rather than by some grand design, but it became obvious to me after I saw it happen. Design a business in which the flywheel can spin without you, if you don't want to spend your time marketing.
My next business that I'm working on is B2B, so I'll have to have a much stronger handle on marketing and sales. But I'm more ready for that now, after a decade of running a B2C business.
In general, most firms form relationships with marketing lead generation companies. i.e. you pay for customers interested in buying something, and pay a reward if a sale is made.
Don't bother spamming with FAANG, as the conversion rates are still hypothetical for many. Go to trade shows, and note how sales people operate with the public... hint, the big deals are never done on the floor area.
The sales conversion rates and tax postures will determine if this type of business is viable in your area. =3
No, that's the lie investors keep telling you until you think you need them.
> I've found it tough to talk about being a solo bootstrapper though. People don't seem all that interested in it [...]
I think you've hit the nail on the head (solo bootstrapper here): People are not interested because A) it's not about them, it's about you, B) it sounds somewhat scary, C) it sounds completely detached from their reality of corporate jobs, and finally D) it's scary because your life might be "better" than theirs.
I don't tell people about my work anymore, and almost nobody ever asks, except for other entrepreneurs/bootstrappers.
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I'm a consultant full-time now (no boss, make my own hours) and had my own business for 7 years (close to solo, with 2 parters).
Most people can't relate when they talk about a terrible boss or some ridiculous drama at work..and you don't have any of that.
I don't even talk about work anymore with family.