Bootstrap Buffalo exists for one reason:
To be the person a founder can call when everything feels
heavy and they don’t know who actually has their back.
Lately, I’ve had James Taylor’s You’ve Got a Friend stuck in my head—not just as a song, but as a kind of operating manual for how I want to show up for founders.
When you’re down and troubled
And nothing, nothing is going right…
I’ve been working with a founder who was staring down $25k+ in legal fees just to form the company, plus even more for a financial model and an AI-based product roadmap.
He’s not a celebrity founder. He’s not sitting on a pile of VC intros.
He’s a good person who’s been grinding for years working two jobs, putting his belief into a business the world hasn’t seen yet.
Here’s the important part:
I’m not taking equity as “payment” for services.
I’m purchasing equity from him, at a valuation we built together because I believe in him and in the impact this product can have for generations.
That’s what this song reminds me of:
In a world full of predatory terms, empty promises, and people who disappear when things get hard… sometimes what a founder needs most isn’t another pitch deck template.
Founders Live in the “Dark and Cloudy” Part of the Story
The song talks about the sky turning dark, the wind picking up, and everything feeling like it’s closing in.
For founders, that looks like:
- Legal bills they didn’t expect
- Formation decisions they don’t feel qualified to make
- Being told, “Come back when you’ve raised a round”
- People offering “help” that’s really about extracting cheap equity
Most people show up for the celebration:
- The press release
- The funding announcement
- The “we just hit $1M ARR” LinkedIn post
Bootstrap Buffalo is built to show up before that—
in the messy middle, when it’s just you, a half-built idea, and a knot in your stomach.
That’s where the real work happens.
Not Just “There for You” — There With You
There’s a line in the song about just calling a name and knowing someone will come running.
That’s the energy I want Bootstrap Buffalo to have for underserved founders.
Being “there” for founders isn’t:
- Sending a generic playbook
- Telling them to “just raise more capital”
- Taking a giant slice of equity because they don’t know what it’s worth yet
Being with founders looks more like:
- Building
the valuation together
So they understand what they’re selling, not just what they’re giving up. - Investing
real money, not just advice
Not, “I’ll take equity because you can’t afford me,” but “I’ll pay for this because I believe this will be worth more later.” - Doing
the unsexy work
Financial models, market maps, roadmaps, pricing, legal strategy, GTM mechanics—
All the stuff that doesn’t make headlines but determines whether the story ever gets told.
For me, that’s what “you’ve got a friend” means in business:
Not a slogan. Not a vibe. A structure of support.
The World Can Be Cold. We Don’t Have to Be.
The song calls out how people can hurt you, desert you, and take your soul if you let them.
If you’ve been a founder for any length of time, you’ve probably felt some version of that.
- Predatory contracts
- Lopsided deals
- “Advisors” who vanish when the work starts
- Partners who only show up when there’s something to take
Bootstrap Buffalo is my refusal to play that game.
I believe:
- Underserved founders deserve high-caliber help without being stripped of their upside.
- Honest terms are a competitive advantage.
- You can build wealth with people, not off people.
If you’re a founder who’s been out there grinding in the dark—working the second job, holding the vision, trying to make this thing real—and you feel like everyone wants a piece but no one wants to stand with you…
You’re exactly who I’m building this for.
An Open Invitation to the Founders Nobody’s Chasing
Every day, there is a founder out there who:
- Has a real problem they’re trying to solve
- Has done the work quietly for years
- Feels blocked by cost, complexity, or just not knowing where to start
But no one is chasing them.
They’re not “hot deal flow.”
They’re just…important.
If that’s you, here’s my promise:
- I’ll help you map the market, not just dream about it.
- I’ll help you build your model and roadmap so investors see what you see.
- Where it makes sense, I’ll invest alongside you on terms that respect your work.
Or sometimes, I’ll just listen and help you get unstuck.
Because sometimes the thing you need most isn’t capital or a funnel—it’s a friend who actually knows how to build.
Final Verse: Call My Name
So here’s my Meaningful Music Monday takeaway from You’ve Got a Friend:
Bootstrap Buffalo isn’t trying to be the loudest voice in the room.
I’m not trying to be everywhere, for everyone.
I’m building this for the founders who’ve been overlooked, underestimated, or priced out of help.
If you’re one of them, this is your sign.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall
All you have to do is call.
And I’ll be there to help you turn that quiet, hard-earned belief in your business
into something reliable, repeatable, and real.
You’ve got a friend.