Botstrapping: A New Approach to Getting Started

bot·strap·ping /bɒtˌstræpɪŋ/ n.

1. The practice of using AI tools to rapidly generate initial versions of code, content, or project structures, with the expectation of significant human refinement. “I used botstrapping to get the basic API endpoints in place before customizing the logic.”
2. A project initialization technique that leverages AI assistance to overcome startup inertia, even when the output requires substantial editing.

I’ve never used this term out loud, but in my head it perfectly describes a pattern I’ve noticed in my workflow. The term plays on “bootstrapping” – which has evolved from a satirical phrase about an impossible task (pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps) into a metaphor for self-reliant progress. In computing, it describes loading a simple system to launch a more complex one. In business, it means building something without external resources.

“Botstrapping” intentionally inverts this self-reliance. Instead of pulling yourself up, you’re letting a bot give you a boost – even if you know you’ll need to clean up after it. It’s like having a very eager but sometimes confused intern who can get you 60%-80% of the way there in 10% of the time.

What I find interesting about botstrapping is how it changes the psychology of starting new projects. That blank page anxiety gets replaced with the more manageable task of editing and refining. The bot’s output might be messy or even completely wrong, but it gives you something concrete to push against. It’s like having a sparring partner for your ideas rather than shadow boxing alone.

Of course, there’s an art to effective botstrapping. You need to recognize when the foundation the bot has laid is fundamentally flawed versus when it’s just rough around the edges. Sometimes starting fresh is still the better option. But I’ve found that even the process of explaining to the bot what you want to build can help clarify your own thinking.

The real value isn’t in the code or text the bot generates – it’s in how it changes the activation energy required to start something new. And in a world where getting started is often the hardest part, that’s not nothing.