Startups often chase funding to grow, but what if that’s not what determines success?
Every startup begins with a dream, an idea bold enough to challenge the status quo. Founders pour in passion and sleepless nights until the chase for capital takes over. Pitch decks get polished, investor calls multiply, and milestones turn into funding rounds.
But somewhere along the way, something shifts. The startup that once set out to solve a problem starts solving for capital instead. Vision blurs. Teams are stretched thin. Growth feels urgent, not strategic.
That’s where most startups lose their way. For every unicorn that makes the news, dozens disappear quietly. Even venture-backed ones aren’t immune; three out of four VC-funded startups fail to return investors’ capital.
In the recent Forbes Technology Council article, our CEO, Mr. Maulik Pandya, shares a powerful perspective on this very paradox in his article, “Why Focus, Not Funding, Decides a Startup’s Fate.”
Mr. Maulik challenges a long-held belief in the startup world that success is written by investors’ checks. Instead, he argues that focus, not funding, is what separates enduring ventures from those that fade too soon.
In this Forbes Council publication, he explores how clarity, resilience, and disciplined execution outweigh even the most generous funding, explaining how startups chasing every opportunity risk diluting their core mission, while focus transforms limited resources into lasting impact.
Here’s a glimpse of what he lays out:
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What Startups Must Focus On
Funding fuels growth, but focus ensures survival. Founders must master four essentials: urgency, cash flow, energy, and resilience. Urgency drives demand, cash flow provides control, energy sustains clarity, and resilience keeps startups adaptable.
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The Myths About Funding
Capital isn’t success; it’s often a vanity metric. More money can’t fix a weak strategy; it only amplifies chaos. Mr. Maulik champions bootstrapping for freedom, discipline, and sustainable growth.
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Government Support Isn’t a Safety Net
Programs may extend runway, but they can’t guarantee survival. He emphasized that support can boost progress, yet only execution sustains it.
Drawing from his Eatance journey, Mr. Maulik reflects on how disciplined execution and genuine customer empathy fueled success far more than investor rounds ever could.
“Startups are less about raising capital and more about raising resilience.” – Maulik Pandya, Forbes Technology Council
The article also dives deep into common funding myths, like why “more money” doesn’t guarantee faster growth and why government support, though helpful, can’t save a startup when execution falters.
The piece goes beyond tactics; it’s a reminder that startup success is less about raising capital and more about raising resilience.
Discover the full story on Forbes and learn how focus, not funding, defines the fate of every startup.