The Twenty Five Golden Bootlaces of Bootstrapping
1.
There is no place for ego, rock stars or hierarchy
2.
Surprise is huge but fun rules everything
3.
Speed is your friend – time is your enemy
4.
Never make assumptions - they are invariably wrong
5.
Hire for attitude and adaptability
6.
Promote from within
7.
Culture beats strategy
8.
Initially business plans and projections are a waste of time
9.
You don’t need to stay in your wheelhouse to start but you have to stick to it as you grow
10.
Be relentless about your customers
11.
Before you start you have to build yourself a runway
12.
Only launch products in a white space
13.
You don't need a great idea to start just great execution
14.
Never waste a good crisis
15.
A cheaper faster better product always wins
16.
Your existing clients are your best marketing tool - harness them
17.
Make painkillers not vitamins
18.
Cross sell is more important than new logos
19.
Customer experience must be your differentiator
20.
Cashflow is king
21.
The speed of your growth is simply the speed at which you can spot and fix mistakes
22.
Use your clients’ footprints to fund your growth and expansion
23.
Paranoia about the competition is to be embraced
24.
Gender equality in decisions produces faster better outcomes
25.
Know what you don't know