A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

APRIL 25, 2011

As a maven of the Macintosh API and still willing to admit it, I landed lots of small contracting jobs fixing up code that other developers wouldn’t touch. These are folks with big requirements — tens of millions of monthly page-views, traffic spikes, custom code, perfect up-time, and 24/7 support.

Java 311

Java Software Review Technical Review Salary 311

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Set expectations accordingly.

Intellectual Property 309

Intellectual Property Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 309

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JULY 12, 2010

Between this blog and reviewing applications to Capital Factory I see hundreds of pitches a year. That's what you sound like when you claim that getting a software patent will protect you from competition. Software patents are especially useless for small, bootstrapped startups. Except in certain industries (e.g.

Intellectual Property 319

Intellectual Property Bootstrapping Software Review Open Source 319

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Most of the great software startups that I’ve been involved in have at least one technical co-founder (and many have more than one.) So before you ask someone to even spend an hour of their time writing code or reviewing specs make sure you can pay them in some form (coffee, dinner, laptop, etc.),

Technical Cofounder 241

Technical Cofounder CTO Hire Equity Sweat Equity 241

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Set expectations accordingly.

Entrepreneur 283

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 283

ReadWriteStart

MAY 3, 2012

But bootstrapping a startup is not easy, requiring discipline and fortitude, as well as ingenuity. Serial entrepreneur Rachel Blankstein is bootstrapping her latest startup, Comparz , the largest independent user review site for businesses seeking Web-based software. But she insists there are benefits to bootstrapping.

Bootstrapping 137

Bootstrapping Software Review Startup Equity 137

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Set expectations accordingly.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator Bootstrapping 261

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2011

Yet the smart entrepreneur can still bootstrap the technical team, using one or all of the following evaluation and hiring approaches: Hire an expert consultant for initial interviews and recommendation. Most employers, due to fear of lawsuits, will only confirm employment data and give you positive feedback over the phone.

Technical Review 236

Technical Review Partner Entrepreneur Dilution 236

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2012

Yet the smart entrepreneur can still bootstrap the technical team, using one or all of the following evaluation and hiring approaches: Hire an expert consultant for initial interviews and recommendation. Most employers, due to fear of lawsuits, will only confirm employment data and give you positive feedback over the phone.

Technical Review 230

Technical Review Technology Founder Management 230

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Set expectations accordingly.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 24, 2015

By bootstrapping, bartering, reducing overheads (rental and manpower), and leveraging technology (especially the web), one can start one’s own business almost on a dime without being beholden to creditors or venture capitalists. Software Developer: From “App developer” to “We provide technology solutions to take your headaches away”.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Software Review South Carolina Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Defining the right business model requires the same diligence as designing the right product, but the approach and skills required are different. It’s also valuable to talk to potential investors for their views, even if you are bootstrapping the effort. These two jobs need to be done in parallel.

Technical Review 220

Technical Review Advisory Board Software Review Business Model 220

YoungUpstarts

MAY 30, 2016

Image credit: Bootstrapping from Shutterstock. Either way, you are not alone if you are bootstrapping your business. There are a few benefits to bootstrapping your way through your business growth. Also, by their very nature, bootstrapped businesses are built on sustainable business models. You are in the vast majority.

Bootstrapping 100

Bootstrapping Germany United States France 100

The Next Web

OCTOBER 3, 2012

Startups die due to a variety of causes. In early 2011, I wrote a post, Startups: Not for the faint of heart , that discussed Parse.ly’s survival through a one-year bootstrapping period after Dreamit Ventures Philly ’09. I have witnessed startup failures that were due to predictable co-founder conflicts.

Cofounder 155

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Technical Review Software Review 155

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Set expectations accordingly.

Product Development 177

Product Development Cost Developer Product 177

VC Cafe

MARCH 16, 2025

Gartner predicted in 2024 that traditional search engine volume could drop 25% by 2026 due to users favoring AI chatbots and virtual agents. NFX argues that in 2025, the consumer window has finally reopened due to advances in AI. Speed is also critical.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review B2C Generative AI IPO 78

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 31, 2011

Here’s the most common one which I got just this week: I’ve read somewhere in your blog about how you had a very large organisation as the first customer for your software. Today it would be near-impossible to bootstrap Smart Bear on those keywords. The fallacy here is that you can copy what I did and get a customer.

Customer 279

Customer Software Review SEM Technical Review 279

YoungUpstarts

JULY 21, 2019

You can find free software on the internet that does almost the same thing as your subscription-based software. Review if you need the extra perks of the costlier alternative, and see if you can make do with the cheaper one. The internet has a ton of open-source software and other free services you can use for your business.

Software Review 191

Software Review Entrepreneur Cost Cofounder 191

Version One Ventures

FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Yet even so, there still seems to be quite a runway in this space due to three mega trends: Every company is discovering that they need to use technology to streamline their business and improve their competitive position. AI becomes truly powerful when software is built with an automation-first approach. companies are not great.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Vertical Software Review Bootstrapping 150

The Entrepreneurial Mind

AUGUST 3, 2010

Such facilities can take a lot of cash to launch due to the cost of facility rent and equipment costs, and the aspiring entrepreneur had no ready source of cash. Once the bootstrapped launch of the play center is cash flow positive, all kinds of options for growing and expanding emerge. It was profitable within nine months. 2005 to $4.4

Bootstrapping 75

Bootstrapping Business Model Software Review Programming 75

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Robert has been working in software since 2005. Those higher costs make learning to write ads, manage campaigns, A/B test, and design landing pages a very expensive activity for an early stage, bootstrapping startup. I’m Robert Graham and I’m an internet entrepreneur working on software for deer management.

Campaign 272

Campaign Software Review Brazil Conversion 272

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

Any custom manufactured IoT device would require software development as well as hardware customization. Bootstrapping. I always recommend that you start with bootstrapping. Bootstrapping is when you put your own money or borrow from friends and family to set up your business. Sources of funding. ? Seed stage.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

YoungUpstarts

JULY 6, 2017

This strategy, known as bootstrapping, is ideally suited to businesses which don’t need a large influx of capital early on in order to finance growth and which are already generating revenues. Bootstrapping has a number of advantages compared to other fundraising strategies. Understand the Tax Code.

Syndicate 127

Syndicate Syndication Software Review Angel Investor 127

SoCal CTO

APRIL 8, 2010

9 Reasons Why Many Smart People Go Nowhere - Life Beyond Code , March 29, 2010 You would have met many smart people who live a mediocre life. The Exit Disconnect - Ask the Angels , March 25, 2010 I’ll admit to having a bias towards exits and focus my review of a potential investment on the exit potential. There are MANY of them.

Software Review 150

Software Review Startup PR Exit Strategy 150

The Next Web

SEPTEMBER 22, 2013

When I started Shapeways, complex software needed to be built and when I first reached out to developers, a lot of them laughed and told me it was impossible. If your product is getting good reviews and people are willing to pay for it, you’ve got something.”. “Never take no for an answer. Don’t listen.

Cofounder 164

Cofounder Founder Startup Bootstrapping 164

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

Since the term “cloud computing” was coined in 1996—at least as we have come to understand its meaning—the software as a service industry has exploded. If you use software like LivePlan, you can create this initial “lean plan” in under an hour and then spend your time where it really matters—on validating your idea.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until real revenue flows. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Solicit funds from friends and family.

Intellectual Property 134

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 134

Hearpreneur

JANUARY 25, 2023

7- Making and selling website themes Photo Credit: Sean Stevens If you know how to code, especially front-end development, you can use your skills to make money by making and selling website themes online. With the right property management software and some experience in the real estate market, you might find success as a property manager.

Software Review 127

Software Review Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur 127

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JULY 24, 2012

Welcome back to Smart Bear Live, the call-in show with Jason Cohen, sponsored by Software Promotions. I bootstrapped it on my own. You’ve bootstrapped a company, so you can see all those things, and you’re skeptical of the VC side. You need traction is code word for no. We have actually started coding.

Silicon Valley 204

Silicon Valley Software Review Internet Technical Review 204

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 31, 2018

Here are some tips for bootstrapping your business. Maybe you’ll get better results from social media, review sites, or blogging. Don’t pay a website designer, when there’s so many good software options that can help you design your own site. Utilize the Cloud and Software as a Service (SaaS). Work in a Spare Room.

Software Review 187

Software Review Cloud Social Media Bootstrapping 187

Version One Ventures

APRIL 30, 2013

As a result, most venture capitalists are reluctant to touch hardware projects, opting for the lower costs and smaller risks of software. This means the overall costs of launching a hardware product are coming down considerably, yet hardware is still costlier (and thus riskier) than software. Focus on VCs who have done hardware before.

Venture Capital 128

Venture Capital Software Review Incubator Startup 128

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 20, 2024

Online Reviews If you have a great site then you can link this to online reviews. You can also use it as a way to generate more reviews, which is great, to say the least. You can also send them discount codes if they happen to leave you a positive review, which encourages them to come back to you time and time again.

Small Business 166

Small Business Software Review Campaign Technical Review 166

Up and Running

OCTOBER 13, 2022

If you’re in startup mode and have limited working capital to cover your operating expenses , you may be bootstrapping your way through the early days. This typically includes reviewing financial reports, overseeing budgets, managing overall financial planning, and more. When is the right time to hire an executive team?

CTO Hire 163

CTO Hire Fractional CTO CTO Hiring 163

crowdSPRING Blog

MAY 23, 2014

Helpful insight for bootstrapping entrepreneurs … how we built besnappy for 317000 – crowdspring.co/1o7tpX4. Re/code – crowdspring.co/1hYEli4. Legal Contracts for Software Developers Who Hate Contracts (w/free contract template to use today) – [link]. 15 Free Bootstrap Admin Themes – crowdspring.co/1jB1FYK.

Social Media 93

Social Media Small Business Design Media 93

VC Cafe

MAY 4, 2021

It has however, a clever marketing launch to build traction: a new user can reserve a username (capture interest), but requires 10 followers (or some hustle) to get an invite code. 31 employees according to Linkedin, but seems to be bootstrapped. Bootstrapped. VC funding, if any, is still undisclosed. Open Source.

Audio 139

Audio Software Review Open Source Social Network 139

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 27, 2014

This was a company that had successfully bootstrapped itself to real revenues, employees and cashflow and I thought it deserved the structure of a going concern, not a flier. They got that way due in large part to a very public founder friendly stance. It ain''t all coding, selling, and raising money, people. I certainly have.

Term Sheet 156

Term Sheet Founder Cofounder Software Review 156

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 14, 2019

Bootstrapping going by the author of the Ulysses, James Joyce implies forcing your way to the top from the lowest of ranks by the aid of your bootstraps. Bootstrapping is a common way to fund a prospect. These are family and friends that help with your startup bootstrapping. 5. Balance your balance sheet.

Balance Sheet 144

Balance Sheet Limited Liability Company Bootstrapping Startup 144