Seth Godin
Freedom and generosity
There are two reasons to bootstrap: Freedom and generosity.
Freedom, because if you don't have investors, the only ones you have to answer to are your employees and your customers. And when you choose your customers, you choose your future. This is the freedom to do work you're proud of, instead of simply maximizing short-term profit.
And generosity, because no one buys from you unless it benefits them. The generosity of seeing a problem and trying to solve it. Of showing up consistently, even (especially) if you don't feel like it. The generosity of connection and possibility.
When we stare directly into this possibility, it can be frightening. Don't look away.
Make promises and keep them.
Seth Godin is an author, entrepreneur and most of all, a teacher. The majority of his 35+ years of projects were bootstrapped.