[johnchristopher]

English isn't my first language but self-made seems to me to be about the self as in opposition to others.

And I have always understood the word to be used in that sense.

See the Collins definition (emphasis mine):

Self-made is used to describe people who have become successful and rich through their own efforts, especially if they started life without money, education, or high social status.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/self-ma...

[tooop]

Giving orders to others are your actions/efforts/decisions so it entirely suits the definition.

[johnchristopher]

"I ask my mom and dad to connect me to their old money friends to get some low rate loans to bootstrap my business. I am self made because I asked my mom and dad for the connection. And I also ask them to co-sign the lease for my office."

HN Argumentum_ad_dictionarium at its finest. It's getting tiring.

[uoaei]

You can't take credit for someone else's work.

If I was capable of issuing every possible order to every employee, am I more entitled to the profits derived from their output if they happen to do something I mentioned?