In self-sponsorship a newcomer asks the wisest person he knows in the program to help him work the steps - himself. I was my own first sponsor... Yes, I was the handsomest sponsor I ever had, though not a terribly effective one.
Having myself as a sponsor was surreal. When I called to check in, I always went straight to voicemail. The same thing happened when I called myself back. Any book recommendations I made I'd already read. When I asked my sponsor's experience about something, the response was always: "It's the same as yours." Finally I got to Step Four and he told me to quit taking his inventory. Soon after that, we parted.
I still see my first sponsor at meetings and he seems to be doing the same as me. We both have the same sobriety date, and the same new sponsor, a man who's nine years sober in the program, and we're doing much better on the whole.
To all self-sponsors out there, I hope you do better than I did. I'd probably recommend firing that sponsor as soon as possible, though, and my first sponsor would probably say the same.