Bootstrapping Guide: How to Start a Business with No Money

Startup advice can be seductive. From motivational quotes to magazine profiles, there’s a persistent narrative that if you follow your passion, log 80 hours a week, and “hustle hard,” you’ll create the next Amazon or Airbnb.

It is possible.

We all know that hard work can produce incredible results. But the prevailing rise-and-grind mythology often pushes founders into business before they’re ready.

Many smart, ambitious people feel pressured to quit their jobs and go all-in. They work around the clock, sacrificing their health and happiness to chase a startup dream.

For every founder who’s battling exhaustion and surviving on protein bars, I’d like to suggest a different path.

It’s the same path that enabled me to build JotForm in a wildly competitive industry, where even Google is vying for our market share. Since 2006, we’ve grown to serve 4.2 million users and create a team of 130 employees — and we’ve done it without taking a penny in outside funding.

JotForm isn’t an overnight success story, and I certainly don’t have a private jet. But, I’ve…