Now is the Perfect Time to Bootstrap Your Tech Startup!

Bootstrapping is a popular option for tech startups in the current economic climate. The bootstrapping approach requires founders to work with what they have, such as their savings, loans, and grants, and often means having to keep their day job or grind through nights and weekends until the first paying customers are acquired. The benefit is that founders can retain more ownership and will be in a stronger position when negotiating terms while raising capital.

Compared to 15-20 years ago, launching a software product requires significantly less capital investment. It would cost approximately $1-3 million for computers, workspace rental, acquisition of software tools, recruitment of developers, and payment to PR representatives to launch a company. Additionally, an additional $1+ million was necessary to enter a new overseas market if the product was being sold internationally.
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Overall, bootstrapping a startup requires hard work, dedication, and resourcefulness. Following these best practices and suggestions can increase your chances of success and build a robust and profitable business.
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So let’s summarize 10 things you need to consider for this lean and mean bootstrapping, and then we will jump into some super effective MVP tools: 
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Here are some best general practices and suggestions:
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1. Start small: Start with a minimum viable product (MVP) and focus on the core features that solve a real problem for your target customers. This helps you conserve resources and test your idea in the market without investing too much upfront.
   
   
2. Build a strong team: A strong team can help you achieve more with limited resources. Assemble a team of co-founders who share your vision and are willing to work hard to achieve it. Document your roles and contributions in a Founders Agreement. Look for individuals who bring complementary skills and experiences to the table. Ensure you align with core values like trust, honesty, and integrity. 
   
   
3. Focus on cash flow: Positive cash flow is critical for a bootstrapped startup. Keep expenses low, avoid unnecessary spending, and focus on revenue-generating activities. Keep your day job or do contract work to pay the bills (yes, even as a startup, you still have to pay something for the various tools you need to build your company and product).
   
   
4. Seek out grants: Research grants and other forms of funding that may be available to help fund your startup. Many small business startup grants exist in the European Union and surrounding countries.
   
   
5. Prioritize customer acquisition: Without a large marketing budget, it's important to focus on acquiring customers through low-cost or free channels, such as social media, word of mouth, or referral programs. Find the “digital water holes” where your target customers hang out”  Apply generative AI tools like ChatGPT to create frequent marketing content and build a following on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Reddit.
   
   
6. Leverage technology: Technology can help you automate and streamline many aspects of your business, from accounting to customer support. Utilize free and low-cost resources: Leverage free and low-cost tools like open-source software, free stock images and videos, and free web hosting to build a cost-effective product.
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7. Make use of existing networks: Use existing networks to spread the word about your product or service. Leverage your existing contacts and networks to build awareness and generate interest.
   
   
8. Stay lean: Avoid taking on debt or unnecessary expenses, and focus on building a profitable and sustainable business. Stay agile and adaptable to changes in the market, and be willing to pivot or iterate your business model as needed.
   
   
9. Seek advice and mentorship: Join a startup community or seek mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs. They can help you navigate the challenges of starting and growing a business. Be careful to join corporate accelerators and give up equity unless you see benefits. Consider accelerators with a track record of producing outstanding companies through active mentoring and investor connections (e.g., YCombinator, Techstars, Launch.)
   
   
10. Build product & Sell Product: Remember that you want a laser focus on these two activities, build and sell products. You are on a mission to build a fantastic product that customers will be overjoyed to use. With that single-minded focus, you will not just find users; you will retain them and make them pay you over time!  Avoid spending time at too many startup conferences and other distractions that might be fun. Stay home, build the product, and dedicate your time to customers and their feedback.
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Another significant cost-cutting opportunity is to work remotely - truly remote - in the cheapest and maybe the most beautiful place you like, Wilderness!

Using Starlink, you can work wherever you want, spending as little as $90 a month for a terabyte of data delivered upward of 150 megabits per second. Cut out the expensive city location and all the travel costs, and go untethered into bootstrap land! This piece in The Information might give you some inspiration.   

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So let’s get back to the fantastic world of startup tools! 
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Today, we have never seen more availability of freemium cloud services for SMBs, covering everything from productivity suites to collaboration tools, accounting services, marketing automation, HR, and cybersecurity. Companies like Microsoft even offer startups free credits and access to their entire suite to access their Azure platforms. 

Furthermore, we can leverage free social media to promote our products utilizing AI-generated tools such as ChatGPT to create blog content regarding our business and even automate customer service interactions through chat and email.

With all these tools and services,  founders can launch their company on a shoestring budget if they are willing to do the sweat equity work!  

How to get your MVP built - fast and with little effort:

‍The world of software development is constantly evolving. With the rise of amazing no-code tools, many entrepreneurs and developers can design and build a minimal viable product (MVP) - with minimal time and effort!
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First, design your solution fast and get immediate feedback before building it!

Figma is a powerful no-code platform for creating high-fidelity designs, prototypes, and user interfaces quickly and easily. It is a great tool for creating an MVP due to its range of features that enable the fast and efficient development of products that meet user needs.

Figma allows users to create a design from scratch or use templates, add buttons, menus, and text boxes to create a user interface, and use the prototyping feature to create an interactive version without writing any code. It also allows collaboration with other users when working on a project. 
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Next up, Building a first MVP using Low & No-code.

No-code and low-code tools such as Bubble, Webflow, Squarespace, and Airtable are highly effective for creating minimum viable products (MVPs) quickly and with minimal effort. These software applications offer the ability to design and develop sophisticated web applications, websites, and mobile applications without coding expertise. This allows entrepreneurs to quickly develop effective products that meet their target audiences’ needs.
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Bubble is an exceptional no-code platform that enables you to design interactive web and mobile applications efficiently. The platform provides an easy-to-use visual programming language that facilitates the creation of sophisticated features.
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Webflow and Squarespace, on the other hand, are low-code platforms that allow for the swift creation of personalized websites and mobile applications. The platforms boasts a robust visual editor that enables the creation of aesthetically pleasing designs.
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Additionally, Airtable is a low-code platform that allows for the rapid development of custom databases. It features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that streamlines the creation of intricate data structures. 
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When utilizing no-code tools to bootstrap a startup, it is vital to establish feasible objectives and maintain focus on the task at hand.
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Start by identifying the key features of your product and then focus on creating a functional prototype that can be used for testing and gathering feedback. It's also important to have a plan for scaling your product as you grow and ensure you stay within your budget. It's also important to stay organized and prioritize tasks. 

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Create a timeline and assign tasks to team members as needed. This will help ensure that tasks are completed on time and everyone is on the same page. 

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Testing and refining your product before launching is essential to meet your target audience’s standards. Using no-code tools, you can create a minimal viable product, and as you scale up, you may need to review your tech stack and build a new road map. Seeking venture capital at this point can help to boost your product and go-to-market capabilities.
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Best of luck launching your bootstrapped rocket ship!
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Take the first step towards launching your startup with Pitchago! Click here to take the Quick Assessment and get tailored advice for your business idea.