4 months ago Y Combinator graduates raised $40M in Series A rounds.<\/p>\n
Today they’re shutting down.<\/p>\n
I’ve watched 17 companies go from “we’re the next unicorn” to “we’re out of runway” in under 6 months.<\/p>\n
The pattern is identical every time.<\/p>\n
Raise big. Hire fast. Burn faster.<\/p>\n
The market shifted but their burn rate didn’t.<\/p>\n
$500K monthly burn becomes $50K revenue reality.<\/p>\n
Nobody talks about the 90% that don’t make it past month 18.<\/p>\n
The Valley celebrates the 1% unicorns.<\/p>\n
Silicon Valley venture math worked when money was free.<\/p>\n
2026 is different.<\/p>\n
Revenue from day one isn’t optional anymore.<\/p>\n
The companies surviving now started with $10K MRR before raising a dime.<\/p>\n
They built profitable micro-businesses first.<\/p>\n
Then scaled with capital.<\/p>\n
The “growth at all costs” playbook is dead.<\/p>\n
What survival strategy are you seeing work in your space?<\/p>\n
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\nWriting at the intersection of AI, capital, and the future of the human job market – sharing mylife lessons, reflections, and honest takes from the founder-investor’s seat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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