by one's own bootstraps

: belonging to oneself or itself

used to express immediate or direct kinship

: to have or hold as property : possess

: to have power or mastery over

: to acknowledge to be true, valid, or as claimed : admit

: one or ones belonging to oneself

: a looped strap sewed at the side or the rear top of a boot to help in pulling it on

: unaided efforts

: designed to function independently of outside direction : capable of using one internal function or process to control another

: carried out with minimum resources or advantages

: to promote or develop by initiative and effort with little or no assistance