Bootstrapping is changing how some U.S. founders think about growth and outside investment. Four or five years is a long time for a company to develop a mattress. For Josh Pribyl, founder of Minnesota-based bedding company Bare Home, it was time well spent. The company repeatedly refined and tested the product rather than bringing it to market before he believed it was ready.

Pribyl argues that outside investors might have expected a launch within a year. Instead, bootstrapping allowed Bare Home to follow a slower path, growing to approximately $100 million in annual sales without taking outside equity investment. Its growth has not been financed entirely without help - a bank credit line played an important role - but Pribyl has retained control of the company and its decisions. READ MORE