Bootstrapping
- “what is bootstrapping a business”
- “bootstrapping vs venture capital”
- “pull yourself up by your bootstraps origin”
- “how do most small businesses fund themselves”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Bootstrapping | Burn rate |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Revenue | Investment |
| Runway | Indefinite or immediate | Calculable |
| Ownership | Retained | Diluted |
| Failure mode | Stagnation | Running out |
| Associated with outside capital | No | Yes |
| Has a funding deadline | No | Yes |
| Can outrun revenue | No | Yes |
| Ends in | Slow growth | A round, profit, or a close |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Bootstrapping rather than Burn rate are usually searching for phrases like “what is bootstrapping a business”, “bootstrapping vs venture capital”, “pull yourself up by your bootstraps origin”.
Burn Rate
- “what is burn rate”
- “how to calculate runway”
- “burn rate meaning startup”
- “what is a good burn rate”
03 · Which came first
Which came first
In shortBootstrapping. 1830 — Comstock's A System of Natural Philosophy already uses the picture of someone trying to raise himself by the straps of his boots.
- 1830
Bootstrapping. Comstock's A System of Natural Philosophy already uses the picture of someone trying to raise himself by the straps of his boots.
- 1984
Burn Rate. Earliest recorded use of 'burn rate' for how fast a company uses up its funds (Merriam-Webster's first known use).
04 · Read either one