Pick a Partner Who Knows the Waters

By choosing to build a company, you acknowledge and accept the potential risks associated with this decision. These may include, but are not limited to: an unhealthy obsession with fundraising, the constant sensation of being simultaneously ahead and hopelessly behind, and the inability to have a normal conversation without referencing burn multiples, CAC ratios, or other KPIs. Founders may experience chronic sleep deprivation, imposter syndrome, and an inexplicable desire to read term sheets at inappropriate moments. Side effects may also include assembling a team of brilliant misfits, firing some of them, rehiring others, and wondering if you should have just opened a coffee shop instead. In rare cases, sustained effort and market timing may result in a successful exit, though this often leads to immediate relapse into founding another startup. By continuing this journey, you waive all rights to predictable weekends, stable income, and work-life balance—but hey, no one forced you. If symptoms persist, congratulations, you’re a real founder.