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> Investors are a liability, not a feature.

It isn't fair to make a post identifying a misused phrase, but then turn around and call investors a liability. Investors are a key part of the process.

While I personally agree with you on what a sustainable business model should mean, investors hold the opinion that actually matters (much like a judge's opinion of what is reasonable is more important than the average armchair expert). Someone has to decide what "sustainable" means, and it is best that the person who decides is the one who stumped up the money.




> Someone has to decide what "sustainable" means, and it is best that the person who decides is the one who stumped up the money.

If you have no investor and the company has grown organically from the initial founding, the only people that stumped up money are the owners or, in a more cooperatively organized company, the people that took less wage to allow for investment in growth. Taking on investment relinquishes control over various features of your company, for example on the desired definition of "sustainable". In that regard, investors are a liability.


VCs don't care about sustainability. They care about exiting early and exiting big. This is the opposite of sustainability.


> Investors are a key part of the process.

What process?


The process of making money for investors.


The birth, existence and death of companies.


Why does putting up money let you decide what is sustainable? Aren't you investing in a company that already told you what they think it is?


This assumes all investment is based on the company and founder's current goals and vision, and not what the investors think they can do with that as a base to achieve their own goals.

Given how often we hear about founders being replaced as operators, I think it's prudent to not assume the intentions of any investors, and to reassess their likely goals based on their actions on a regular basis.


Who pays the piper calls the tune. Any company has to work this out with an investor before they accept the investmernt.




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