I remember having lots of very similar questions when I first started. I'm a software engineer, so I moved to silicon valley years ago to find a CEO I could CTO for. Fortunately, I stopped looking and had the confidence that I'd be able to figure out all the business stuff. I bet on myself as the CEO.
One of the reasons why there are so many software startup opportunities is because industries are so siloed. My current startup is in Oilfield Logistics - it's literally software to aid moving sand from a mine to an oil well. I had no idea this problem existed until I talked to a friend that runs a large trucking company, and then dug into it. Key takeaway - talk to a lot of people, in lots of different locations, in lots of different industries.
As for how to get the money to bootstrap - you have to get creative, and that's what makes bootstrapping so much fun. Having a VC write you a check is so...unoriginal. If you can find a customer whose pain is more acute than the rest, you can often get them to pay in advance or have them pay to build it, but offer them a "discount" so you can retain all the IP. Now a customer is funding your startup. Or find the smallest MVP that customers will pay for and only build that. The MVP might be a spreadsheet or Zapier + Airtable. You would be surprised what customers are willing to pay for. They don't care if it's easily deployable, can be easily scaled up, or has a beautiful UI, as long as it solves their problem.
One of the reasons why there are so many software startup opportunities is because industries are so siloed. My current startup is in Oilfield Logistics - it's literally software to aid moving sand from a mine to an oil well. I had no idea this problem existed until I talked to a friend that runs a large trucking company, and then dug into it. Key takeaway - talk to a lot of people, in lots of different locations, in lots of different industries.
As for how to get the money to bootstrap - you have to get creative, and that's what makes bootstrapping so much fun. Having a VC write you a check is so...unoriginal. If you can find a customer whose pain is more acute than the rest, you can often get them to pay in advance or have them pay to build it, but offer them a "discount" so you can retain all the IP. Now a customer is funding your startup. Or find the smallest MVP that customers will pay for and only build that. The MVP might be a spreadsheet or Zapier + Airtable. You would be surprised what customers are willing to pay for. They don't care if it's easily deployable, can be easily scaled up, or has a beautiful UI, as long as it solves their problem.