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Key Takeaways Vanity metrics like splashy valuations and glossy PR don’t necessarily build a sustainable company — the fundamentals do.
You must have discipline, know your numbers and hear (not just listen) to your investors and customers.
When a business model is inherently profitable, you stop chasing capital — and capital starts chasing you.
Startups often chase external validation, but the real flex is internal validation — knowing your business can thrive on its own.
In today’s startup world, it’s easy to get distracted by vanity metrics — splashy valuations, glossy PR or an oversubscribed seed round. But these things don’t necessarily build a sustainable company. What does? The fundamentals.
I’ve learned — sometimes the hard way — that the difference between a startup that lasts and one that fizzles isn’t charisma, buzz or even vision. It’s discipline. It’s knowing your numbers. It’s hearing — not just listening — to your investors and customers.
Related: Stop Chasing These Vanity Metrics if You Want to Succeed
Listening vs. truly hearing
As founders, we like to think of ourselves as great listeners. But in reality, most of us are just waiting for our turn to talk.
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