Interesting post, but the first flow-chart seems to perpetuate the (Silicon Valley oriented ?) mindset that a startup should be pursuing:
* Rapid growth
* Frenzied hiring
* Profitability relatively late in the game
What about different approaches to building and running great companies ? Why not:
* Focus on the product and passionate users (ala Paul Buchheit and Gmail)
* Focus on exactly how you make money from that product
* Hire incrementally at (or just before) the point you are profitable
* Accept slower (less fashionable and exciting ?) growth
Maybe that would help align our thoughts around what it takes to build a
sustainable business rather than just coding great features ?
It also has the added advantage of freeing you from the hand of the VCs and looking over you shoulder fretting about your burn rate.
