Bootstrapper's hall of fame: Cartoonist makes bootstrapping an art

Filed in archive Bootstrapper Profile on September 6, 2008

Aspiring cartoonist Michelle Prestileo has discovered bootstrapping need not be limited to entrepreneurial startups on line or in the real world.

A decade ago, the Pennsylvania based artist might have had to rely on getting her portfolio into the hands of the right agent, Hollywood producer or publisher.

Today, using simple bootstrapping techniques possible with the emergence of the new digital age, Prestileo can bypass all that getting her work directly into the hands of fans who give here feedback through her www.insomn.com website.

Here are links to the article based on my interview with Michelle in Nov. 2006

• The bootstrapping of art. As others have used bootstrapping to build businesses with little or no beginning investment, Prestileo, working as Shell Presto, has bypassed the usual intermediaries appealing directly to fans on line with her website.
• From fan to fantasist. Prestileo started drawing at a young age and started her website as tribute to her favorite comic later turning it into a vehicle for showcasing her own work.
• Shoestring cartoonist. Like most bootstrappers, her overhead is remarkably low, $200 for a digital artist's tool and $12 a month to maintain her site.
• The art of bootstrapping. Other artists, Prestileo's peers, have already successfully used websites to deliver their work directly to fans.
• The digital gallery. A network of fellow artists now use on line tools including virtual communities and galleries to keep in touch and share their work.
• Ship, then test. Like many other bootstrappers including startup guru Guy Kawasaki, Prestileo believes getting her product (her work) before a potential audience is most important.
• You're not alone. No matter where you are, no matter what you do, it's easier than ever before to get your product, service or creative endeavor to those who might appreciate it than ever before using simple bootstrapping ingenuity.

For more on our "Bootstrapper's hall of fame" series including how your business or service can get involved read details in the next post.