If you have a startup idea and dream of launching your business, you might be thinking that you need money to build your MVP, hire a team, and go to market. 

At some point you will need money but the million dollar question is: when. Raising money is hard without either an entrepreneurial track record, personal connections (i.e. family and friends round), or traction.

A track record means that this isn’t your first rodeo. You have been involved in the very early stages of other startups and maybe you had a successful exit. Going to family and friends is a common first step for budding entrepreneurs. But if you’re either new to the startup scene or don’t have a wealthy personal network, your access to funding will hinge on your ability to demonstrate traction.

Think of traction as proof of concept with clear early indications that tech-enabled exponential growth is possible. Investors want to see that you’re addressing a real problem, you have an effective product, and you have what it takes to be a founder. Your bootstrapped solution doesn’t have to be refined, elegant, or polished. It doesn’t even need to be scalable. In fact, a clunky solution with customers can be preferable because it confirms that the pain point you’re trying to solve exists and people are starving for a solution even if it isn’t perfect.

In order for you to get traction, you don’t need to spend. Here are a few low-cost paths to ways that will facilitate turning your idea into a solution.

Don’t automate yet. 

In other words, build less and wait on splurging on tech. When AirBnb realized that hosts’ ads were suffering from poor photo quality of their homes, they didn’t develop software to improve image quality. Instead, they flew out to people’s homes in New York City and snapped photos with their own professional camera. Then the founders even offered to write more detailed descriptions of the hosts’ places themselves and gave them one-on-one advice about how to improve their listing. Watch one of the AirBnB co-founders describe the story here.

Were these efforts technically sophisticated or scalable for millions of users? Nope. They were simply cheap and valuable.

Once these startups reached specific milestones and critical mass of users, they turned their attention to scalability enabled through tech. Ask yourself if you’re at the point yet that you truly need custom software before beginning to make the investment.

Find free alternative platforms.

Google Docs was a game changer. When it came out in 2006, it was a free alternative to a paid Microsoft Office license and set the stage for more free online versions of industry-standard platforms. If you need Photoshop, you can try GIMP. If you need Quickbooks, you can try Wave. Some of these options are the free version of a premium model, so determine how much value you can maximize for free. Use alternativeto.net to find free alternatives.

Use off-the-shelf tools.

The web is overflowing with SaaS. No-code, drag and drop platforms such as Wix and Squarespace can create beautiful static websites and even basic e-commerce sites. Templates are a dime a dozen and you’ll typically have a slightly generic looking site (thanks Bootstrap!), but the cost savings and speed to production are undeniable.

For even more awesome functionality, check out Webflow, Bubble, and Figma. Fast track your ability for rapid prototyping without sacrificing sleek, responsive designs. These tools have a technical ceiling, but they will empower you to single-handedly build from the ground up without a design, software, or product team.

Explore open source. 

If you’re technical, dig into open source. Unlike packaged tools such as Bubble and Figma that have powerful yet limited functionality, open source software can be just a starting point for development. You can modify, enhance, and reimagine existing code as much as you want.

When we created our website, we used GatsbyJS, an open-source framework built on top of React. GatsbyJS allowed us to create a beautiful, responsive site that had virtually no limit to what else we could build on top of it in the future. Plus, no-code static website builders such as Wix and Squarespace lock you into recurring monthly fees that you can’t control once you’re in their ecosystem, whereas we just pay pennies every month for hosting and can switch hosting providers at the drop of a hat. It’s a minor example of how one small choice can make an ongoing difference in cost.

Sell others on sweat equity. 

Your biggest spend will be on your team, particularly in the competitive tech talent landscape. But if you don’t have money, you can offer part of the company. Whether people join as co-founders or get vested options, you’re attracting people who share your vision and have a stomach for the startup risk. Still, finding great technical people to forgo financial comp for the promise of riches down the road isn’t easy and some founders see giving up equity as a last resort. Just remember: 10% of a watermelon is better than 100% of a grape.

Finding a co-founder is easier said than done. The best way is from the people that you already know: a friend, a co-worker, a family member, a mutual acquaintance. You could also try online communities such as CoFoundersLab. I can’t speak to how effective these are, but you can join and explore at no cost.

However you find your potential partner in crime, choosing a co-founder is not a decision to make lightly. 

Bootstrapping your startup idea not only saves you from wasting cash, it shows investors that you’re resourceful and are more likely to be smart with how you spend their money. Most importantly, you will empower yourself to do the most valuable thing: start today.