If our startup sinks, everyone else gets a life raft — but Founders go down with the ship.

There are a million stories about how other entrepreneurs were able to scale successfully, but what we rarely hear about is what happens when things aren't so rosy, which is ironic since most startups don't have that picturesque outcome AND this is a great learning opportunity.

The reality is most Founders find themselves inextricably tied to their startup baby at a very personal financial level.

This means when things go sideways, it's not just the startup that's in jeopardy — it's our personal lives that get pulled into the mucky-muck. And if this is your first startup — this may not be apparent at all.

Most Big, Successful Businesses of Today Were ...