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Existence of VC money is irrelevant to 'bootstrapping'. Taking VC money is sort of the opposite of bootstrapping.

Existence of easy seed and pre-series-A funding nowadays means people don't even try to bootstrap with 50k in personal 20% APR debt. Similarly in 1998, 1999, a lot of wild dreamers with harebrained ideas got VC money pretty easily after a few PowerPoints and some bullshitting.

Google also used a bunch of credit cards initially from what I understand.

I'd rather have 20% APR, than give away 20% equity. Why? Because when the debt is paid to the credit card company they go away. The VCs will always want more and more, pushing your company faster than it should go.

Depends on risk profile.

30 with 3 kids and no savings? Yes please, give away some of my profits so VCs can derisk the startup.

20 and living with parents? Bootstrap away, if I fail I will be fine.

IIRC the google guys had VC crawling down there back and had to tell them to back off.

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