Start a Business, NOT a Startup

I’ve been to a lot of events with entrepreneurs over the last five years. And I’ve noticed something.

More and more people introduce themselves like this:

“I’m working on a startup.”

Somewhere along the way — probably late 90’s tech world — “startup” became the cooler cousin of “business.”

It sounds shiny.
It sounds innovative.
It sounds like you’re in an indie rock band.

But here’s the tension.

Sometimes “startup” becomes a magic word that shields us from real business questions.

Questions like:

·       Who is the customer?

·       What problem are you solving?

·       How do you make money?

·       When do you become profitable?

In some circles, asking about profit is treated like you just asked someone their weight at Thanksgiving dinner.

Awkward. Uncomfortable. Slightly offensive.

But profit isn’t rude.

It’s oxygen.

Here’s a hard truth:

If your plan is to spend other people’s money until you figure out how to make your own… you don’t have a business yet.

You have an experiment.

Revenue in.
Expenses out.
Profit.

Those aren’t old-school ideas.
They’re survival.

A company without a clear, quick path to profitability isn’t edgy.

It’s either a hobby…
or a very well-designed black hole.

Big ideas are great.
Cool slide decks are fun.
But “we’ll figure out how to make money later” is not a strategy.

It’s a wish.

Let’s build businesses.

Businesses that:

·       Serve clients.

·       Solve real problems.

·       Create real value.

·       Generate real profit.

Because when you make money, you can reinvest.
You can grow.
You can hire.
You can serve more people.

Profit isn’t greed.

It’s proof that you are delivering something of value.

So instead of chasing the label “startup,”

Build something simple.
Build something useful.
Build something that pays for itself.

Start a business.

And let it grow from there.

Stay Resolute

Greg