Who says bootstrapped means small?

Starting small doesn’t mean staying small.

When most people hear the term "bootstrapping," they think of small businesses with limited growth potential. But as someone who bootstrapped from zero to 25M+ users, I can tell you that bootstrapping doesn't mean you're destined to stay small.

Bootstrapping isn’t about size. It’s about leveraging your resources wisely and focusing on what truly matters: your product, your customers, and your mission. Many successful companies started this way and achieved extraordinary success.

Here’s some inspo — some of my favorite bootstrapping stories.

Mailchimp: Side project to billion-dollar business

Ben Chestnut and Dan Kurzius started Mailchimp as a side project without external funding. They focused on solving email marketing problems for small businesses. By listening to their customers and continuously improving their product, they grew Mailchimp from a small startup into a billion-dollar company. This wasn’t an overnight success; it was about consistent, organic growth driven by real customer needs.

Basecamp: Building on customer loyalty

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson built Basecamp by focusing on what their customers really needed. The company was originally a web design agency, and Basecamp started as an internal tool for the agency. However, they thought they were on to something when clients started requesting it for their own projects. Without chasing venture capital, they concentrated on creating the product slowly and continuously improving it based on feedback. This approach allowed them to grow a loyal customer base and a profitable business, demonstrating that bootstrapping can lead to sustainable growth.

Zoho: Quietly building a software empire

Zoho’s story is a wonderful case study of what happens when you prioritize long-term vision over quick wins. Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, Zoho founders, started Zoho with the vision of creating business and productivity tools. They chose to pour all their profits back into the company instead of seeking VC money. Because of this, they were able to grow steadily and sustainably without external pressure.

Today, Zoho is a unicorn, serving millions worldwide, thanks to their focus on product excellence and customer satisfaction. Their story proves that with determination and a clear vision, bootstrapping can build a global software empire.

Hotjar: Scaling with product-led growth

David Darmanin and Dr. Matthias Gelbmann had a vision for transforming user analytics. They were bootstrapped from day one and focused on building tools like heatmaps and session recordings. Embracing Product-Led Growth (PLG), they continuously improved based on user feedback. Because they were so dedicated to solving real problems, they managed to organically grow Hotjar into a leading analytics platform, proving that with a clear vision and user-first approach, you can achieve significant success without external funding.

Atlassian: From startup to software giant

Atlassian, the company behind tools like Jira and Confluence, was started without outside funding by its founders, Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, and stayed that way for several years. In true bootstrap style, they used credit cards to keep the business going in the early days. They focused on making great products that their users needed and grew Atlassian into a global software powerhouse. The company eventually went public, but not before proving that bootstrapping could lead to substantial, long-term success. Atlassian’s journey shows just how much you can achieve with perseverance and a clear product vision.

My personal experience: Jotform's journey

When I started Jotform, I never considered seeking VC money. For one thing, I didn’t know any VCs. More importantly, as someone who thrives on agency and control, that path would have never worked for me. I wanted to create a product that users would love and rely on without ever compromising on the company’s vision. I wanted to build something meaningful, and I wanted to do it my way. Instead of trying to grow fast, I chose to listen to our users and improve our forms based on their feedback. This focus on our users helped Jotform grow naturally. Today, with over 25 million users worldwide, Jotform shows how powerful bootstrapping can be.

Practical advice for bootstrappers

1. Listen to your users: Consider Mailchimp again. They focused on user feedback, improved their product, and grew it into a billion-dollar company. Your users know what they need — make sure you’re paying attention.

2. Grow naturally: Hotjar grew by focusing on essential user needs. Doing that allows for organic — and word-of-mouth — growth.

3. Use what you’ve got: Zoho started scrappy, working out of a small apartment and relying on the founders' savings. Use what you have and be okay with taking some losses in the short term.

4. Stick with It: Zoho shines here as well. The founders could have made things easier in the short term by getting some funding, but they knew the kind of company they wanted to build and stuck with it, even going without pay for a while. Have a clear vision for your project, know your why, and stick with it.

5. Solve real problems: Basecamp knew the problem was real because they faced it with their agency.

6. Stay true to your values: I started Jotform with a customer-first approach as a core value. Not only did I live by this value — when I could finally hire engineers, I devoted all my time to customer support and continued doing so for years — but today, every single employee at Jotform, regardless of department, is required to do customer support during their first few weeks.

7. Innovate constantly: Mailchimp started both scrappy and as a side project. Their humble beginning turned into a billion-dollar success story by continually innovating.

8. Be Resourceful: Airbnb's founders started by renting out air mattresses in their apartment to make extra money. They were selling Obama-themed cereal before this. Their creativity and resourcefulness helped turn Airbnb into the global success it now is. Being resourceful and thinking outside the box can help you overcome challenges and find new opportunities.

Embracing the bootstrapping mindset

Bootstrapping doesn't limit your ambitions; it empowers them. It lets you build sustainable, profitable businesses that have no need for cash injections. And it lets you build them on your terms, driven by your values and at your own pace.
Look again at those examples – Mailchimp, Basecamp, GitHub, Zoho, Hotjar, and Jotform – they prove that bootstrapping can lead to remarkable success at scale.

Embrace the journey, keep your priorities straight, and grow without limits.