Three months of money left and the fundraise is not going well. Make impossible decisions about what to cut and what to protect.
Part of
Startup Survival →
The glamour of entrepreneurship meets the reality of runway, rejection, and ramen. Navigate the emotional and strategic challenges of building something from nothing. You'll navigate four escalating scenarios — from the pivot moment to the first customer — practicing the decisions that matter most when the pressure is real and the stakes are personal. This isn't theory. It's practice for the moments that define how this chapter of your life unfolds.
Skills you'll build
What happens in this story4 scenarios
You open the banking app and the number stares back — three months of runway, maybe less. The fundraise pipeline is a graveyard of polite rejections and ghosted follow-ups.
The first cut list lands on your desk — names of people who trusted you enough to join early. Every line item is a person, a family, a promise you made.
A potential acquirer calls with an offer that would save everyone's jobs but kill the vision. Meanwhile, your lead engineer's LinkedIn just went active.
The clock is ticking and the options are brutal. You gather the team for the hardest all-hands you have ever led — honesty or hope, and you are not sure you can deliver both.
More stories in this course
View all →The Pivot Moment
Your original idea is not working and your runway is shrinking. Navigate the agonizing decision between persistence and pivoting.
4 scenarios →The Co-Founder Conflict
You and your co-founder disagree on something fundamental. The stakes are existential and the relationship is everything.
4 scenarios →The First Customer
Someone is willing to pay for what you built. Navigate the transition from building to selling without losing your soul or your vision.
4 scenarios →The Runway Clock
Three months of money left and the fundraise is not going well. Make impossible decisions about what to cut and what to protect.
Start free →4 scenarios · 25 min · No account required to try