“I started to build my dream. Somewhere along the way, I started building someone else’s playbook.”
In the wild world of startups, we love hero stories. The founder who hustled 24/7, the genius who failed fast and rose again, the team that raised millions overnight.
We turn these stories into gospel. We worship them as dogma — rigid, holy commandments that every founder must obey.
But here’s the dangerous truth:
Dogma is a shortcut to comfort, not success.
The deadliest dogmas every entrepreneur is sold.
1️⃣ Hustle 24/7 or die trying
Work until you collapse. Sleep when you’re dead. Family? Health? Who cares.
Sounds heroic, right?
In reality, this is how burnout is sold as a badge of honor. Sustainable success comes from sharp focus and energy — not self-destruction.
2️⃣ Fail fast, fail often
Yes, learning from failure is crucial. But romanticizing failure without learning is like celebrating a car crash because it “taught you something.”
Failure is a teacher — not a strategy.
3️⃣ Raise money at all costs
Somewhere along the line, we decided VC money was a trophy. The more you raise, the more you “win.”
But money is a tool, not a victory parade.
Your business might thrive better bootstrapped, profitable, and free.
4️⃣ The customer is always right
No. Some customers are wrong, loud, and costly. Your job is to choose your customer — not please everyone.
5️⃣ Growth above everything
We chase hockey-stick graphs, forgetting that vanity metrics are just that — vanity.
Revenue without margins, customers without loyalty, growth without soul — these lead to slow deaths disguised as momentum.
Why do we fall for dogma?
Because it’s easy.
It feels safer to follow a known path than to carve your own.
It feels cooler to repeat Silicon Valley slogans than to think deeply about your own reality.
Dogma gives you a script — but the greatest founders write their own.
AnandNataraj 