The Man Who Thought He Was Smarter Than Time
In business, time and capital are not enemies — they are allies.
Try to cheat either, and both will turn against you.
When I suggested investing around ₹10 crore (~$1M) over two years to build something substantial, the businessman thought otherwise.
He didn’t hesitate.
He said yes — loudly, confidently, almost theatrically.
He spoke of money flowing from Dubai.
He promised investors, partners, and friends who would put their faith — and their funds — into this vision.
He made promises that sounded larger than life.
But what he never said aloud was the truth:
he never intended to keep those promises.
He wanted the glory without the grind — the growth without the cost.
The Monthly Burn That Doesn’t Wait
He believed he was being smart —
that instead of investing upfront, he would earn those funds by starting an IT consultancy company.
But reality doesn’t bend for optimism.
Running an IT consultancy isn’t a game of quick profits.
It’s a credibility marathon, not a sprint.
It takes years of delivery excellence, trust-building, and network credibility before revenue even starts to match the burn.
Every month, whether clients come or not, the company bleeds:
salaries, rent, laptops, tools — the basics.
That’s ₹20–22 lakh every month,
₹2.5 crore a year,
just to exist.
He thought projects would flow, clients would sign, and profits would roll in.
But in this business, reputation is currency — and reputation takes years, not quarters.
And if he believes he can build and sell products in 3–4 months,
let reality do its work soon enough.
Product businesses demand patience, focus, and deep reserves — not wishful math.
This isn’t arrogance; it’s experience speaking.
Building tech businesses — whether services or products — takes capital, conviction, and long-term courage.
Shortcut thinking doesn’t reduce risk.
It just speeds up the fall.
You can’t outsmart the process.
You can only respect it — or pay for ignoring it.
⚠️ The Reality Begins to Bite
Now, cracks are showing.
Salaries are delayed.
Tensions are rising.
Some haven’t been paid on time — others might not be paid at all next month.
The same man who once promised crores from Dubai can’t even honor the promises made to his own team.
Because someone who doesn’t keep his word to himself will inevitably fail everyone around him.
In business, you can fake confidence — but you can’t fake commitment.
You can delay salaries — but you can’t delay consequences.
What Happens Next
Give it a few months.
- The SMO will be let go.
- The SDE3 will follow.
- Hiring will freeze.
- Morale will drop.
- The spiral will begin.
The company won’t collapse because the idea was bad —
it’ll collapse because the intent was hollow.
Consulting doesn’t reward speed.
It rewards reputation, consistency, and trust —
things that take years to build and seconds to lose.
The Inevitable Lesson
He thought he could talk his way into success.
He thought big words could replace real commitment.
He thought lying was a strategy.
But in business, time has a way of exposing every shortcut.
And when the dust settles, he’ll realize:
The cost of dishonesty is always higher than the cost of investment.
He thought he was playing it safe — avoiding risk, keeping control.
But in truth, he was gambling with trust, time, and people’s livelihoods.
You can fake confidence — but not character.
You can delay salaries — but not the truth.
He said he’d bring money from Dubai.
But the only thing he brought was disappointment.
Because in the end, it’s not capital that defines a founder —
it’s character.
#StartupWisdom #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Integrity #RealityCheck #BusinessLessons #HardTruths #FoundersJourney #TrustAndEthics #Strategy #TechFounders
