I grew up with stories of people who start their own businesses and do really well. So I thought, 'OK, that's what you do.' I can thank my dad for that.
My twenties were my practice. My thirties were when I really hit my stride with GoPro and did all the heavy lifting to build the business.
Everyone has an idea over time of what the business should be, and during the formative period, too many opinions could be disruptive.
I didn't want to take anybody else's money. I wanted to do something small that could be profitable from the beginning, and grow that way - and never need someone to write me a check to keep the business going.
Bootstrapping allows you total creative freedom. For example, if you decide to approach your business in a certain way that makes it a two- or three-year process to get to your first product, you can do that, versus being rushed into it by investors.
My first business was a retro-gaming site where you'd go and play all these cool old-school games. It was a good idea but ahead of its time.