Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Andy Dean


Carl Jongsma raises the interesting question of what the ethics should be for a part-time bootstrapper when business interests intersect with those of an employer in this post at CSO Online.

Jongsma's comments are principally inspired by the case of Juergen Marester, a French network consultant, who allegedly sold vulnerabilities to his own employer's software on line according to a July article at Fast Company.com.

Having often been in the position of bootstrapping a second or even third business while also working full-time, I've evolved a set of ethics I generally adhere to especially if occasional intersections between my outside business efforts and those of my employer are unavoidable.

• Do no harm. Unlike the network consultant mentioned above, I've tried never to engage in activities that would actively injure the company for which I am employed. Beyond the sense that such behavior is simply unethical and might lead to termination if it is discovered, it also runs counter to the part-time entrepreneur's own self interest since the full-time job creates revenue needed to allow for part-time work on entrepreneurial projects.

• Give them first dibs. I have often given full-time employers the opportunity to exploit new skills I have learned through my bootstrapping efforts particularly in the areas of management and use of new media. Unfortunately for some, those who don't take me up on it may soon find me working for someone else more interested in what I have to offer.

• Don't ask. Don't tell. Romanian software and web design entrepreneur Cristian Dorobantescu is always upfront with perspective employers about his entrepreneurial activity. I have to admit I'm somewhat in the middle on this. I don't go out of my way to hide my entrepreneurial efforts. (Most are on the web for everyone to see.) But I don't talk about them at work either. I suppose I do this not so much to keep a secret but to concentrated on doing instead of talking. The same reason I try not to prattle on about projects at family gatherings. Also, I suppose I feel if my employer does have a problem, what he/she doesn't know won't hurt.

• Think like a future partner. Since many of my bootstrapping ventures have been in a field similar to the one in which I work, I always try to consider how my startup might contribute to my employers business in a meaningful and beneficial way instead of trying to undermine it. Transforming a past employer into a customer or partner is one excellent method of bootstrapping that can lead to benefits for both.