like anything else, it's a matter of balance. i used to be a hardcore bootstrapper and would pride myself on getting something to market on a $x,000 budget, or saving a few bucks on an SSL certificate, laptop, office space, tax deductions, etc. but the result is i'd waste a lot of time and emotional energy on shit that didn't really matter to our core business.

but there are two things to remember:

- your time is a lot more valuable than you think (as others have pointed out)

- often money, wisely allocated, (i.e. hiring a couple engineers or investing in a good work environment, not all-around extravagant spending) can help you get to market and achieve your goals faster

and since speed is a startup's only real advantage, this is often the difference between a 1 or 0 outcome.