Former U.S. Marine and entrepreneur Ann Bernard says she's using bootstrapping techniques despite seeking VC or other outside funding for her startup social network Why Go Solo.

For example, a blog detailing the startup uses Blogger, a free platform, and she and her partners plan to put a lot of sweat equity into marketing the venture when it's finally rolled out.

Bootstrapping methods can certainly be a help even when you've got outside funding because they can save you from spending money on things you don't need.

But, of course, despite the complaints of some entrepreneurs, including commenters on this site, bootstrapping is much more than just the practice of doing everything on the cheap. (For more on this re-read the article on bootstrap guru Greg Gianforte also mentioned in the previous post.)

So, why not just bootstrap Why Go Solo all the way instead of seeking funding, especially with the decreasing cost of starting just about any Internet based company?

Ann explains:

Our problem is this: when we launch, if we don't make a splash, those sites and other organizations that are not tapping into what we will be providing, can easily steal our thunder and utilize their already massive following to bury us in the ground.

I'm not sure I completely agree with this argument.

For example, Yahoo! bought Flickr even though it already had a photo sharing service of its own and by September 20 plans to shut down its own service in favor of the newer acquisition simply because it's more popular.

Also, in this great post, which I know I've referred to before, Director of Business Development for Microsoft's Emerging Business Team Don Dodge explains that the ability to technically replicate a startup's key product does not equal the ability to replicate its market position.

Anyway, Ann suggests some other bootstrapping resources (including this blog) that are worth a look like the three month old Bootstrapping Blog and Guy Kawasaki's quintessential post "The Art of Bootstrapping".

To these, I'd like to add:
• Gianforte's own great site
• plus a pretty great post by of all people VC extraordinaire Brad Feld,
• "practical visionary" Thomas Madsen-Mygdal's Bootstrapping.net for you mystics out there,
• Dane Carlson's "20 things not to do before starting a business",
• The free download of Seth Godin's "The Bootstrapper's Bible",
• A great set of bootstrapping resources from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation that we'll be exploring more in upcoming posts.

And for another completely different look at entrepreneur Ann Bernard check out "The Road to Primal Quest 2008".