Why Most Startups Fail: Long-Term Thinking, Burn Rates, and the VC Trap

Most Startups Fail Because They Focus on the Wrong Things. Here’s What Actually Matters.

In this episode of Show Your Value, we sit down with Jim Curry from BuildGroup, a rare kind of investor who isn’t chasing fast exits or inflated valuations. He’s in the trenches helping companies build for the long haul and his insights are a masterclass in what real value creation looks like.

Topics Covered:

- Why short-term thinking kills startups

- How to build a company worth keeping and selling

- What great investors actually do between board meetings

- Why most founders burn cash like “drunken sailors”

- The real cost of raising too much money

- How AI is rewriting the rules of business execution

- Why the team under the founder determines success

- How to spot investors who will destroy your company

- The mindset shift founders must make to survive the next decade

Jim has helped companies like Rackspace scale to billions with capital discipline, ruthless focus, and a commitment to long-term value. If you're a founder, operator, or investor who wants to do business the right way, not the trendy way, this episode is for you.

Learn more about Jim and BuildGroup: https://www.buildgroup.com

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