TL;DR

– The ultimate goal of a start-up is not to strive for longevity but rather to cease existing.
– Ceasing to exist in the entrepreneurial world means that a start-up has successfully scaled into a fully-fledged business, or has been acquired by another entity.
– Being acquired can mean that the start-up’s dream has been realised and that their innovation has final acceptance.
– The fear of discontinuing is often considered a roadblock to creativity and innovation, but it should be embraced as a sign of success.

Article

The strange paradox of entrepreneurial ventures is that their ultimate goal is to cease existing. You may be thinking, ‘What?’ However, in the context of start-ups, ceasing to exist doesn’t intensely signify failure. Rather, it’s a part of the journey, a testament of success and growth.

In the realm of business, if a start-up no longer exists, it signifies that they’ve either grown and scaled into a full-sized enterprise, or they’ve been successfully incorporated into a larger entity. Both scenarios represent the maturity of the start-up and indicate its success in creating impactful solutions that other established businesses have deemed of value.

Acquisition, which often means the end of a start-up, is a dream for many entrepreneurs. It’s this shouldn’t be seen as the end of the road but rather as the ultimate acceptance of the innovation and concept that the start-up was founded on.

In contrast, it has been observed that the fear of ‘ceasing to exist’ frequently hampers the creative and innovative spirit within companies. This fear of discontinuation and failure often leads to ‘safe’ decisions, restricting the revolutionary thinking that’s core to startups.

Thoughts

Embracing the discontinuation, rather than fearing it, could provide the much-needed liberation for start-ups to be more ambitious and dare to make brave decisions. The quicker we come to peace that the ultimate goal of a start-up is not longevity but instead, strategic maturity or acceptance via acquisition, the faster we can focus on developing innovative and revolutionary ideas.

References

Source: TechCrunch

Personal opinions

I believe the true measure of a startup’s success isn’t determined by its longevity, but rather by its ability to adapt, innovate, and ultimately achieve its end-goal — be it acquisition or scaling into a fully-fledged business. The recognition of this truth deserves diverting more attention to.

Do you agree that ceasing to exist can indeed be the ultimate victory for a startup? Is this a better measure than traditional metrics of startup success? I’d love to hear your thoughts!