bootstrappers
DIY business builders
Bootstrappers are people who build something—typically a business—using their own resources rather than outside funding.
The term comes from the impossible task of pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps, now reframed as admirable self-reliance: The bootstrappers grew their startup without taking venture capital.
In computing, a bootstrapper is a small program that initiates a larger system's loading sequence.
One who begins something
- cofounderJoint business originator
- startupNew business enterprise
- ventureRisky new undertaking
- pivotPoint of rotation
crowdfunding · accelerator · incubator · pitch · scaling · equity · solopreneur · scrappy
Dramatic upward mobility narrative
- autodidactOne who teaches themselves
- self-starterOne with initiative
- self-sufficientAble to provide independently
- self-taughtEducated without instructors
initiative · ambition · discipline · empowerment · ascent · hardship · drive · effort
Sustained resolve despite obstacles
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- tenacityPersistent grip or resolve
- determinationFirmness of purpose
- hustleEnergetic, aggressive action
resourcefulness · self-reliance · scrappiness · persistence · endurance · willpower · resolve · fortitude
Forceful interruption of process
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- ingenuityClever, original thinking
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- prototypeFirst functional specimen
iteration · ideation · breakthrough · problem-solving · agility · adaptation · lean · scrappy
founder
One who begins something
pivot · crowdfunding · accelerator · incubator · pitch · scaling · equity · solopreneur · scrappy · self-funded
rags-to-riches
Dramatic upward mobility narrative
- autodidactOne who teaches themselves
- self-starterOne with initiative
- self-sufficientAble to provide independently
self-taught · initiative · ambition · discipline · empowerment · ascent · hardship · drive · effort · underdog
perseverance
Sustained resolve despite obstacles
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- tenacityPersistent grip or resolve
- determinationFirmness of purpose
hustle · resourcefulness · self-reliance · scrappiness · persistence · endurance · willpower · resolve · fortitude · toughness
disruption
Forceful interruption of process
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- ingenuityClever, original thinking
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
prototype · iteration · ideation · breakthrough · problem-solving · agility · adaptation · lean · scrappy · pivoting
- entrepreneursfounder, co-founder, startup founder, business owner, serial entrepreneur