An open-letter to bootstrappers

Fellow Bootstrappers,

We're surrounded by success stories. Companies and entrepreneurs that pop up out of nowhere and build the "next big thing" overnight. We may know this repeatedly told story isn't really true—if you didn't, plot twist!—but it can be hard to shake the narrative. And along with it can come a savage critiquing of self, "Ugh, maybe I'm no good at this...", "I don't know what I'm doing."

Whilst I can't directly address these types of concerns, if they're rooted in comparing what you're building to that which was "built overnight," then I can say with certainty that there's zero legitimacy in them.

In reality, the successes we're surrounded by are the result of one of three things: excessive piles of money, a struggling company putting on a good show, or endless hours of work. Sometimes it's a mix of all three, but more often than not it seems to be one of the first two.

The number of times I've held a seemingly small and independent company in high regard for their successes, only to discover later that they're backed by tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or often even millions of pounds, is unreal. Equally matched by the number of times a shiny-looking company on the outside is actually hemorrhaging money on the inside and has never turned a profit.

Some could argue that the above is how many great companies are built, and I'm sure I could name a few that have taken this path, but for those of us starting out with 0 and opposed to seeking investment (or lacking the contacts to do so), these seemingly successful companies really offer no valuable comparisons whatsoever.

But that's only two of the "three things" covered—excessive piles of money, a struggling company putting on a good show, or endless hours of work. Amongst a vastness of money and show, there are those that have just worked really damn hard year after year, and I reckon if you compare that with your own journey you'll likely find that you have that in common. In which case, it sounds like you're actually on the right track.

Of course, there is a noteworthy distinction to be made here: working away at exactly the same thing over and over without any results whatsoever... well, don't do that, unless you're in the business of creating an art piece whose value lies in the work and not how well it sells—an equally worthy pursuit.

All that said, keep your chin up, and keep pushing forward. Don't fall into failing through self-elimination and meaningless comparisons. If someone seems to be doing everything so much better than you, likelihood is, they're minted, putting on a show, or have worked really damn hard just like you.

You've got this!
Otter