"They are the ones who respond well when things move against them. Over the course of my career, founding companies, working with entrepreneurs across the country and navigating more financial obstacles than I can count, two forces consistently determined survival. The ability to access capital when it mattered and the discipline to stretch every dollar until it counted. You cannot rely on one without the other."
"Growing up on a farm taught me early that resources are finite. You use what you have, fix what breaks and plan for the next season before it arrives. Those lessons followed me into my first business, where access to credit meant opportunity, but discipline meant endurance. Looking back now, I can say those principles work not just in theory, but in practice."
Control is an illusion in business because markets, policies and technology change unpredictably. Longevity depends on founders' ability to respond effectively when circumstances shift. Two consistent forces determine survival: access to capital and disciplined management of cash and resources. Credit provides flexibility while steady cash flow provides stability, and relying on one at the expense of the other creates vulnerability. Practical resourcefulness and planning, learned from frugal environments, improve endurance. Preparation—securing options and stretching each dollar—reduces the need to accept unfavorable capital terms under urgency.
Read at Entrepreneur
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