The Invisible Force That Defines A Startup’s Fate
The lesson for me is clear: at startups, speed and urgency are really just survival.
EXPERT OPINION BY MICHA BREAKSTONE, FOUNDER AND CEO OF SOMITE.AI @MICHABREAKSTONE
Startups die in two ways. Gradually. Then suddenly.
This phrase, adapted from Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, encapsulates how most startups meet their end. Their decline begins subtly — missed opportunities, delayed decisions, or faltering execution. Then, a tipping point arrives, and they collapse seemingly overnight.
I’m often asked by friends, family, and especially my dear wife why I push myself so hard. Why the crazy hours? Why the all-nighters? Why prioritize work above everything (except family), especially given past successes like selling Chorus.ai for US$575 million and earlier spinning out my business unit to Intel? This is my response.
A startup lives or dies by its velocity. You’re attempting something Herculean — building a multibillion-dollar business in years instead of decades. I think of startups as living in dog years. Everything needs to move approximately seven times faster than the regular world outside.
Speed compounds
A single day of delay can snowball into a week of setbacks when teams depend on one another. This amplified ripple effect is even more pronounced for leaders, particularly co-founders and CEOs. They set the pace for the entire organization.
Recently, I had lunch with the founding CEO of what is now an $80 billion publicly traded company. He shared how for decades, he was first in the office and last to leave. This was well before remote work was possible, so office time served as a clear measure of commitment and hard work. His dedication wasn’t just about personal productivit. It also was about setting an example for the entire organization.
I’m a deep believer in hard work, not as an abstract value, but as a necessity for success. While talent is crucial and exceptional people are invaluable, you simply won’t win without outworking your competition. This is true even if your competition isn’t an actual company, but simply the current status quo. Starting a successful company is like breaking a world record, or winning an Olympic medal. You need a world-class regimen to succeed. Unless, of course, you’re incredibly lucky or competing in breakdancing.
Read More: 5 Signs Your Startup Is Ready for an IPO
Distance over time
The math is simple: Every day you’re not sprinting forward, the world moves on without you. Each moment of hesitation means lost momentum, missed market opportunities, and diminished trust from customers and investors. Startups rarely die from catastrophic events. They fade by lacking the velocity to capture momentum, and then suddenly discover they’ve become irrelevant.
That said, hard work shouldn’t mean self-destruction. At my company, Somite.ai, we balance urgency with two other core values: well-being and authenticity. While I prioritize my company above everything except family, I’m also a firm believer in maintaining mental and physical health. Burnout benefits no one.
This balance, however, doesn’t change the fundamental equation. In the end, startups die because they fail to seize opportunities quickly enough. First, they decline gradually — through missed chances and waning momentum. Then, they fall suddenly, left behind by the compounding effect of all the opportunities they were not quick enough to seize.
The lesson for me is clear: at startups, speed and urgency are really just survival.
Photo credit: Getty Images.
