bootstrap
n.a method for starting a computer or a program without using the operating system. It can also mean a way to build something from nothing using the tools you already have.
n.a small program or set of instructions used to initialize a computer system or load an operating system. In a broader sense, it refers to the process of building or improving something using only the resources already available.
“The technician used a bootstrap to start the computer when the OS failed.”
“The startup used a bootstrap approach to build their first product, relying on the founder's existing skills and a small amount of personal savings.”
“In statistics, the bootstrap method involves resampling from the original dataset to estimate the variability of a sample statistic, effectively creating a distribution from a single sample.”
From boot + strap. The sense "pull up (without aid)" comes from the phrase pull oneself up by one's bootstraps.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.