The Financial Leap from Corporate Comfort to The Startup Roller-Coaster Ride

Attention, mature-age entrepreneurs and solopreneurs! You've done it. After two and a half decades zipping up the corporate ladder, you've finally decided to take the plunge into that exhilarating rollercoaster called "Entrepreneurship."

The corporate good life was sweet, wasn't it? Three-four real estate investments, a fat PF account, a substantial number of insurance policies amassed for tax savings, and diversified investments across mutual funds, FDs, stock markets, and maybe even a dash of crypto! Life was financially predictable.

But now, that proverbial "SMS: Salary has been credited" won't grace your phone at the start of every month. Instead, you'll be sending those SMSes – to your employees, to your office landlord, and to a hundred other vendors. The buck, quite literally, stops with you.

So, how do you plan your finances for this brave new world?

The future looks so rosy, doesn't it? You've binged every episode of Shark Tank, you're close to a couple of VCs and Investment Bankers, and they've even "committed" to back you with seed funding. Your startup idea, you believe, will propel you to the likes of Mr. Goyal of Zomato, Mr. Gupta of boAt, or Mr. Bansal of Lenskart very soon! The world, you imagine, is eagerly waiting for your grand announcement.

But then comes the first cold shower: your first rejection. The very VC who promised seed funding now gently suggests, "Generate more traction, come back in six months."

This is where the rubber meets the road. How much runway should you actually keep? Do you leverage yourself with bank loans, tempting as they are when banks still hover, mesmerized by your healthy ITRs? Or do you sell off those properties, the symbols of your corporate success, to provide initial capital? What's the correct way forward without tumbling into a debt trap?

This "Monday Muses" is about this very subject. Can you relate?

Hit me up if you need any help navigating this critical financial planning for the next 3-5 years. Let's discuss!

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