Billion \u20b9 in sales in our first year.
\nI still lost millions of my own money.<\/p>\n
That contradiction taught me everything.<\/p>\n
The metrics I worshipped were GMV and valuation.
\nThe metric that mattered was Positive cashflows and Net Profit.<\/p>\n
I learned it the expensive way.<\/p>\n
Look at where startups actually die.
\nNo market need. Running out of cash.
\nThose two causes alone are behind roughly 70% of all shutdowns.<\/p>\n
Now look at the funded ones. The supposed winners.
\nHarvard Business School studied 2,000 venture-backed startups. About 3 in 4 never returned a single dollar to their investors.
\nFunded. Celebrated. Valued in the millions. And still they returned nothing.<\/p>\n
Here is where I have to be honest. <\/p>\n
I am an investor too. <\/p>\n
I backed many startups, and I will back many more.<\/p>\n
Raise it when it makes the business stronger.<\/p>\n
I am against mistaking the raise for the business.<\/p>\n
A valuation is someone’s opinion of what you might be worth one day.<\/p>\n
A paying customer is proof you are worth something today.<\/p>\n
The startups we watched survive, ours and the ones we funded, almost always earned the customer before they earned the valuation.<\/p>\n
That is the bet behind @A Foundery. Profitable, self-sustaining businesses over fictitious value sitting on a term sheet.<\/p>\n
If that is the company you want to build,
\nour “Founder in Residence” (FIR) program is open. Link below in comment<\/p>\n
Would you rather be valued at millions, or earn your first real dollar?<\/p>\n
| \ud835\uddde\ud835\uddff\ud835\uddf6\ud835\ude00\ud835\uddf5\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddee \ud835\udddf\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddf8\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfa\ud835\ude00\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf6 | \ud835\udde6\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddff\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddf9 \ud835\uddd8\ud835\uddfb\ud835\ude01\ud835\uddff\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddfd\ud835\uddff\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf2\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddff | \ud835\udddc\ud835\uddfb\ud835\ude03\ud835\uddf2\ud835\ude00\ud835\ude01\ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddff |
\n| \ud835\uddd5\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddf9\ud835\uddf1\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf4 \ud835\uddfd\ud835\uddff\ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddf6\ud835\ude01-\ud835\uddf9\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddf1 \ud835\ude00\ud835\ude01\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddff\ud835\ude01\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfd \ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddf0\ud835\ude01\ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddff\ud835\ude06 “\ud835\uddd4 \ud835\uddd9\ud835\udde2\ud835\udde8\ud835\udde1\ud835\uddd7\ud835\uddd8\ud835\udde5\ud835\ude06” | I write at the intersection of AI, capital, and the future of the human job market – sharing my life lessons, reflections, and honest takes from the founder-investor’s seat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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