In general, bootstrapping usually refers to a self-starting process that is supposed to continue or grow without external input.

What does it mean to pull yourself up by your bootstraps?

phrase. If you have pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, you have achieved success by your own efforts, starting from very difficult circumstances and without help from anyone.

Where does pull yourself up by the bootstraps come from?

The phrase “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” originated shortly before the turn of the 20th century. It's attributed to a late-1800s physics schoolbook that contained the example question “Why can not a man lift himself by pulling up on his bootstraps?”