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Hi, I am Aytekin Tank, CEO of Jotform.

THE STORY OF JOTFORM

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BOOTSTRAPPING YOUR STARTUP

From 0 to 10M Users with $0 Funding

61,553 words about our story

Table of Contents

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BOOTSTRAPPING YOUR STARTUP

CHAPTER 1The story of JotformRead this chapter
CHAPTER 2An alternative pathRead this chapter
1. Six tips for entrepreneurs who don’t want to sell their soul to investors
CHAPTER 3Sink or swimRead this chapter
1. Why bootstrapping will make you a better entrepreneur
CHAPTER 4Bootstrapping vs VC fundingRead this chapter
1. How to know which option is right for you
2. Pros and cons of each option
CHAPTER 5To quit or not to quit your jobRead this chapter
1. Don’t quit your job yet: how to lay the foundation for a successful startup
2. Build a side project, build an empire
3. A candid conversation about entrepreneurship vs. “employee-ship”
CHAPTER 6Six fundamental skills for foundersRead this chapter
1. Skill 1: Become a better thinker
2. Skill 2: Grow your charisma
3. Skill 3: Learn to sell anything
4. Skill 4: Master the art of asking questions
5. Skill 5: Get what you want from difficult people
6. Skill 6: Learn to disagree the right way
CHAPTER 7On ideas: How to make problems your solutionRead this chapter
1. Don’t waste your time with passion
2. Scratch your own itch and success will follow
3. Stop trying to invent the next Facebook or Amazon
4. Four places to find your next big idea
CHAPTER 8Solopreneur vs. the cofounder pathRead this chapter
1. Why you don’t need a co-founder to start your own business
CHAPTER 9Early-stage traction for your startupRead this chapter
1. How to land your first 1,000 users
CHAPTER 10Beyond 1,000 users: A customer-obsessed businessRead this chapter
1. How focusing on the customer (not the competition) brought us over 1 million new signups in a year
2. How to turn haters into fans and fans into brand ambassadors
3. How to develop a customer retention strategy
CHAPTER 11Marketing & growth fundamentalsRead this chapter
1. Don’t just disrupt how consumers think: Walk your talk
2. Your brand is not what you think it is: How to measure customer happiness & other confusing metrics
3. Why customer service is the new marketing
CHAPTER 125M users milestoneRead this chapter
1. 5 lessons I learned while growing my business to 5 million users
CHAPTER 13Product development & launchRead this chapter
1. How we develop products for 10 million users
CHAPTER 14How to launch when everyone’s watchingRead this chapter
1. Don’t just ship it: Why we worked on a new idea for 3 years
CHAPTER 15The art of innovatingRead this chapter
1. Sprint without losing your sanity: How hack weeks can encourage innovation and creativity
2. Conformity kills innovation: embrace your company’s black sheep
3. Organizations don’t run out of good ideas - they overlook them
CHAPTER 16Growing your teamRead this chapter
1. Hire slowly, grow slowly: How we grew from 1 to +300 employees
2. More success by doing less: The art of delegation
3. Focus on productivity, not efficiency
CHAPTER 17The power of cultureRead this chapter
1. How to hire and attract amazing people
2. Beyond ping-pong tables: how to dodge clichés and build a team you love
CHAPTER 18Hold onto your starsRead this chapter
1. Why “job-hopping” is a myth – and how to retain your best employees
2. 5 qualities of star employees: how to identify, nurture, and retain great people
3. The truth about toxic workers in the workplace
CHAPTER 19Boost team productivityRead this chapter
1. Why team-building exercises won't make your staff more productive
2. What really lies behind a productive workplace
3. How our +300 employees stay productive, motivated and happy
CHAPTER 20ConclusionRead this chapter
1. The six principles of the undistracted entrepreneur

Announcing the new Jotform