With my first startup I saved up about $30k, then went into "hotdog mode". This is when you cut your expenses down to the point where your only overhead is hot

With my first startup I saved up about $30k, then went into "hotdog mode". This is when you cut your expenses down to the point where your only overhead is hot dogs, tap water, and rent/mortgage/utilities. You have no gas expenses because you don't drive anywhere, and no entertainment expenses because you do nothing but code. I could have lasted 18 months that way. In the first year, I built the software, found two co-founders, and got some favorable press, which led to a small angel round--I actually turned down money in the angel round because I didn't want to give up too much of the company at a low valuation. That bump was enough to get the product launched, start paying ourselves, and have revenue coming in. We later raised real capital, but by then we had a solid product, reputation, and quickly growing client base. I retained >50% of the stock when we sold the company years later. I've always been amazed that founders will so readily give up their equity just to raise capital, or to get prestigious advisory/board members. Do your startup for the love, but keep your eye on the end-game and don't give up equity unless you have no other choice.