#128: Dealing with bootstrapper stress

Bootstrapping is stressful. I share seven ways I try to manage the stress of being a software bootstrapper.

Thanks to EmailToolTester who sponsored this episode. Find which email newsletter service actually reaches your customers with EmailToolTester’s deliverability report.

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@SteveMcLeod Enjoyed this podcast very much.

For me one thing to reduce stress was to use a reseller (fastspring) instead of stripe: No (less) hassle with VAT and tax authorities in the EU, Russia, AU, now US states coming …

The podcast ties nicely in with 23 rules to run a software startup with minimum hassle

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Friends, experienced this on my own and digging deeply by participating in many studies (NLP, EFT, Bowen therapy, meditations, etc.) the best I can offer you is the technique of Andrea Freddie TAI https://www.ilgiardinodeilibri.it/webinar/webinar-gratuito-tecniche-di-alchimia-interiore-con-andrea-fredi
and my book https://www.amazon.com/Clear-your-Subconscious-Mind-practical-ebook/dp/B07NYK2C8C all other things are just temporary solutions.

… I forget to mention Hooponopono but it will require at least 100 hours of practice.

This is becoming a business by the way, see Shaolin Temple in PWC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GnOGlafa3Q

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Steve,

great episode, thank you for sharing.

For me a great stress relieve is an established routine that helps me get out of the house at nights like joining a sports league.

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I never promise any new features to my customers (I sell a standard desktop product). They should only buy it when they feel the product in its current state suits their needs. This ensures I can take all the time I need to add new functionality, and hence keep the product very stable. This reduces stress enormously.

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Thanks so much for the episode, it makes me feel that stress-free bootstrapping is still possible :slight_smile:

I have a question though. Sometimes I hear and read in some books that growing fast and trying to dominate the market at any cost is a vital necessity for a modern business because of competition. That is if a business doesn’t scale fast enough, it’s a question of time when the competitors kick the business out of the market. So they think that the only correct way to survive in the long run is to grow as fast as possible that obviously means a lot of stress. What do you think about that?

I look to the huge number of small businesses around the world, staying small year after year, and seeming to survive and prosper.

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I don’t know if it is even possible for SaaS business to stay small forever and prosper.

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