M+WORK: Bootstrap and Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Funding It Yourself

Does it ever feel like everyone else has it figured out? Another start up announcement on Instagram. Another glossy founder feature. Another woman who somehow secured funding, launched a business, built a personal brand all while raising a family and making it look easy.

You wonder: How is she doing it? and maybe more quietly: What am I doing wrong?

The truth is, it’s never that simple.

Behind every funding round or polished pitch deck is someone just as tired, just as riddled with doubt and often just as close to burnout as you are. Because when you’re bootstrapping aka self-funding your way through growth, strategy, childcare, and school admin it feels personal.

This is because your business isn’t just your work, it can feel like your worth and often your only option.

The Cost of Going It Alone

We don’t talk enough about what it really costs to self-fund a business. Not just financially which in itself is huge, but more importantly the emotional side.

It’s pitching through sleep deprivation. Answering investor emails during nap time. Trying to grow something ambitious while also remembering to buy nappies and reply to the school trip form.

When you’re expected to lead at work and lead at home, something eventually gives and more often than not, that something is you.

So Why Not Just Raise Money?

Because raising money isn’t just hard, it’s statistically stacked against you. In 2024, all-female founding teams received just 2.8% of global venture capital.

That’s not due to lack of ambition, strategy, or results. It’s because the system still rewards familiarity and women, especially those building outside traditional networks or while raising children, often don’t look familiar enough.

Yet, we persist. We build from our kitchens and coworking spaces. We grow slowly, sometimes quietly or loudly depending on our support network. We stretch every pound and crucially we hold our nerve even when it feels impossible.

Redefining What Success Looks Like

Yes, raising capital can open doors, but it’s not the only way to build something that matters. Self-funding means full ownership of your idea, your pace, your values and this level of freedom should not be underestimated.

Still, it’s easy to forget that in the noise of other people’s metrics. That’s why at Mother+, we’re spotlighting the women building against the odds with our Championing Female Founders section.

This is for the women growing brands during maternity leave. Crafting pitches between pickups. Choosing purpose over polish, and resilience over the VC route. Because success isn’t just how much you’ve raised, it’s how much you’ve carried. How far you’ve come and how many others you’re bringing with you. If you’re building something, we want to hear your story. We want to help you go further and feel seen while you do it.

And in case no one’s said it lately: you’re already doing more than enough.