RightNow CEO Brings Bootstrapping Message to MYSQL Users Conference 2006

Conventional wisdom has held that entrepreneurs need to write a business plan, raise capital, start a bonfire, and hope that a successful business takes shape before all the money burns away. Bootstrappers, on the other hand, focus on meeting a legitimate market need, ensuring the viability of their go-to-market strategy, and meeting core business challenges within their existing resource limitations—rather than trying to solve all their problems by simply acquiring more capital. They thus initiate the critical sales learning process sooner than entrepreneurs who look to outside investment to sustain them through the early stages of their existence. Bootstrapping also promotes decisions that result in profitability and forces entrepreneurs to think more creatively.

Gianforte is one of the nation’s leading proponents of bootstrapping. He has used the technique to start and grow several successful companies—including RightNow, which he founded in 1997 and took public in 2004 after 26 consecutive quarters of revenue growth. He is also the author of Bootstrapping Your Business: Start And Grow a Successful Company With Almost No Money, which was published in August of 2005 by Adams Media Corporation.

“It’s important for people who want to start a business to hear that their energy, ideas and drive are more important than their ability to borrow large sums of money,” Gianforte said. “If you have something customers want and you can deliver it at the right price-point, revenue and profits will come. If you don’t, all the capital in the world won’t make your business successful.”

RightNow is the one of the largest MySQL users in the world and makes extensive use of open source technology in its advanced application hosting environment.

Gianforte’s session will be held Tuesday, April 25 at 9:15 AM in Ballroom E-H.