How Bootstrappers Can Take Action: “What’s the First Step I Can Take This Week?”
When you’re bootstrapping a startup, momentum is everything. But with so many tasks competing for your attention, it’s easy to overthink, overplan, and stall.
That’s why one of the most powerful questions you can ask is:
“What’s the first step I can take this week?”
This forces you to stop procrastinating, start executing, and make real progress—one step at a time. In this guide, we’ll break down how to identify your next action, get started quickly, and build momentum.
Step 1: Clarify Your Big Goal
Before you can take the first step, you need to define where you’re going.
🔹 Are you trying to acquire more customers?
🔹 Do you need to build or validate a product idea?
🔹 Are you looking to generate revenue quickly?
💡 Example:
A SaaS founder might have the big goal: “Get my first 10 paying customers.”
Step 2: Break It Down into Small, Actionable Steps
Big goals can feel overwhelming. The key is to break them down into smaller, manageable actions.
How to Break Down a Goal into Actionable Steps
| Big Goal | First Steps This Week |
|---|---|
| Get my first 10 customers | Send cold emails to 10 potential users. |
| Launch a new website | Write a draft of my homepage copy. |
| Validate a business idea | Create a simple landing page and collect emails. |
| Improve customer retention | Call 3 existing customers and ask for feedback. |
| Get traffic to my site | Publish a LinkedIn post about my startup. |
💡 Example:
Instead of “Get more customers” (too vague), a concrete step might be “Reach out to five potential users and book one call.”
Step 3: Pick the Easiest, Most Impactful Step
Not all first steps are equal. The best one is:
✅ Small enough to do in a day.
✅ Clear and specific.
✅ Likely to drive real progress.
The 2-Minute Rule
If a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it right now. If not, schedule it.
💡 Example:
Instead of “Write a blog post,” start with “Brainstorm 5 blog post ideas.”
Step 4: Commit and Take Action This Week
Once you’ve chosen the first step, commit to doing it this week.
📌 Write it down. Make it a priority.
📌 Set a deadline. No excuses.
📌 Track your progress. Reflect on what worked.
💡 Example:
If your goal is to build a SaaS MVP, your first step might be:
✅ “Create a simple wireframe of my app by Friday.”
🚀 Final Thoughts: Progress Beats Perfection
You don’t need a perfect plan—you just need to start. Every big success starts with a single action.
By consistently asking “What’s the first step I can take this week?”, you’ll avoid paralysis, build momentum, and move your startup forward.
📢 What’s your first step this week? Drop it in the comments! 🚀
