While I agree that open-source is a godsend for bootstrappers, don't forget that time is money. Would argue that sometimes it's worth outsourcing bits to speed up development. Got an MVP done with zero budget? Congrats, but be careful not to let 'free' blind you from the hidden costs, like …

Consider outsourcing your entire infrastructure management. DevOps as a Service can help take the headache out of scaling and let you focus on your app's content and community. Also, make sure your monetization strategy can sustain your growth - maybe paid features or premium subscriptions?

Look at the big picture. Startups are the backbone of innovation. Where do you think all your tech comes from? Blood, sweat, and yes, skipped ZZZs. But it's not for everyone, that's for sure.

Yeah, 'value first' sounds great in theory, but what if your startup doesn't have the resources to give anything away for free? Not every founder can afford to host webinars or create reports before they’ve got a bit of capital to work with.

Startup mortality rate is high but so is mortality rate in nature, that’s just how evolution works. The ones that adapt survive, the ones that don’t, well... Just gotta keep iterating on the idea till it clicks.