Roundup of February 2026 Bootstrapper Events

Roundup of events for bootstrappers in February 2026. Online and in-person events are offered at $10.

Roundup of February 2026 Bootstrapper Events

We offer online events for bootstrappers including Bootstrappers Breakfast and Lean Culture. There are also in-person Bootstrapper Breakfast meetings in Las Vegas, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. These events are for “entrepreneurs who eat problems for breakfast.”^®

We have eleven events this month to help you move your business forward. Join us as your interests dictate and schedule permits.

Are you an entrepreneur who’d like to share lessons learned? If you’ve a reached a milestone in your entrepreneurial journey and would like to share lessons learned, please contact Theresa Shafer (tshafer@skmurphy.com) to explore scheduling a short briefing at a Bootstrapper Breakfast or a talk at a Lean Culture event. You must have attended a Bootstrapper Breakfast or Lean Culture event to be considered.

Tues Feb 3 12:00 pm PST Drop-In Mastermind for Non-Fiction Writing
https://www.meetup.com/skmurphymastermind/events/312886152

Writing a business book or a blog? Join our non-fiction writers group of similarly minded small business folks where we can keep each other motivated and accountable. Each attendee will have a chance to share a short piece (500-1,000 words) by reading it aloud or providing access to a google doc or emailing other attendees to get feedback. We do this every mastermind session.

Thurs Feb 5 8:00 am PST Mastermind Open House https://www.meetup.com/skmurphymastermind/events/312689254/

Who sees your blind spots first? Clients, customers or trusted peers? Learn how a group of trusted peers can give you an extra competitive advantage in your business. This is an open house meeting to get your questions answered about what’s involved in an SKMurphy Mastermind and meet others who are considering joining.

Fri Feb 6 9:00 am PST Silicon Valley Bootstrappers Breakfast (In Person) Redwood City
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bootstrappers-breakfast-in-redwood-city-for-silicon-valley-founders-tickets-1963668317799

Tues Feb 10 9:00 am PST Vegas Bootstrappers Breakfast Roundtable (In Person) The Coffee Press
https://www.meetup.com/bootstrappers-breakfast-las-vegas-startups/events/312961808/

Thurs Feb 12 11:00 am PST / 1:00 pm CST / 2:00 EST Lean Culture: Getting Started with Claude Code and Context Engineering
https://www.meetup.com/lean-culture/events/312995332/

This presentation will introduce you to Claude Code, Anthropic’s command-line tool for agentic coding, and Context Engineering, a key skill for working effectively with AI. You’ll learn what Claude Code can do, how Context Engineering improves your results, and how these concepts fit into the broader landscape of Agentic Systems. If you are a technical professional (or not) looking to stay current, this session will give you a starting foundation to explore further on your own.

About the Speaker: Tarek Sawyer Nassar is a technology expert and strategic solutions architect with 20+ years guiding complex technical projects. He blends deep architectural expertise with product-centric leadership to help businesses succeed with distributed systems, cloud platforms, and emerging technologies. https://tareksawyernassar.com/#about

Fri Feb 13 9:00 am PST San Francisco Bootstrappers Breakfast Startups at CityGroup Center (In Person)
https://www.meetup.com/bootstrappers-breakfast-san-francisco/events/312818583/

Tues Feb 17 8:00 am PST Silicon Valley Bootstrappers Breakfast (Online)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/silicon-valley-bootstrappers-breakfast-online-tickets-1200389991779

Weds Feb 18 8:30 am EST Virtual East Coast Bootstrappers Breakfast Reunion
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1981869163017

Thurs Feb 19 8:30 am CST Chicago Bootstrappers Breakfast (Online)
https://www.meetup.com/bootstrappers-breakfast-chicago/events/cpkzjtyjcdbzb/

Fri Feb 20 9:00 am PST Mtn View Bootstrappers Breakfast at Red Rock Coffee (In Person)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mountain-view-bootstrappers-breakfast-tickets-1200388768119

Fri Feb 27 9:00 am PST Silicon Valley Bootstrappers Breakfast (Online)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/silicon-valley-bootstrappers-breakfast-online-tickets-1200389991779

Some key take-aways from Bootstrappers Breakfast conversations in January

- There is an important difference between understanding a technology or capability and the ability to execute with distinction.
  - - Domain knowledge is essential
    - Be careful of asking yourself “How hard can it be?”
    - Looking for cofounders: coffee dates / bounded commitment
- When working with introverts, always offer a preview of coming attractions in an email in advance. Don’t spring a pop quiz.
- Founders must debug their sales process before hiring their first salesperson. An experienced salesperson may know a lot about selling but expects founders to explain how to sell the product based on real experience.
- Use a community of practice models to explore the frontier.
  - - You can tell when you are on the frontier, it’s not crowded, but it’s also not empty.
    - You can use a community of practice model to share the burden of experimentation and exploration. The more you understand what is current practice and what others have tried and either made work or not made work, the faster you can learn.
  - “Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.” Etienne Wenger. Some related blog posts on CoP
  - You own what you do on your own time with your own materials. At least in California. See also
    - - https://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2016/12/14/incorporation-and-ip-protection/
      - https://workerscomplawattorney.com/labor-code-2870-employee-inventions-and-intellectual-property-in-california/
  - Successful entrepreneurs typically have rare or unique knowledge of a domain. If you have practical work experience in a field, discipline or industry you have a significant advantage over other startups whose founders have only read about it or heard secondhand about problems or needs.
  - It’s always energizing when entrepreneurs come back and let us know how it’s going. Seeing them succeed is a plus, but it’s energizing either way.
  - Probing new business or product concepts is a matter of defining who you are trying to serve, the key benefit or outcome you want to deliver, the constraints on a solution, and a target price point commensurate with the value of what your offering provides. It requires a lot of experimentation and a willingness to probe the edges of your concept to refine it.
  - Another nice thing about the breakfasts is watching entrepreneurs offering problem-solving perspectives based on their experience.

Lightning Round Question for February 2026

What problem do you solve and how will your prospect know you’re the right choice?

Trademarks: “Bootstrapper Breakfast” and “Entrepreneurs Who Eat Problems For Breakfast” are registered trademarks of SKMurphy, Inc.

Image Credits: “Puzzle part last joining together” on Pixabay by Alexas_Fotos used with permission.

Roundup of February 2026 Bootstrapper Events

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