Plan for Three Years of Personal Runway

I don’t think having three years of runway is realistic for most people. Based on that logic, unless you are independently wealthy or someone is willing to fund your “ideas”, you have no business trying to do a start up.

Most investors laugh at your “ideas” and only become interested once they see an opportunity to scale an already proven business. Without product/market fit and a repeatable sales process, all you have is an “idea” or a “hobby” or at best a “lifestyle business”.

I didn’t even quit my day job until we had our first real customer. Now we’ve been live for almost a year, full-time for 6 months, are on $1m+ run rate for 2014, been making payroll for two months, and continue to acquire new customers weekly. For us it was either strike lightning fast and get revenue or have the company die a quick (and humiliating) death.

Is it really reasonable to tell a potential entrepreneur that they need to have their finances planned for the next three years before attempting a start-up? I don’t think so.

Doesn't seem reasonable. The average person can't even manage to save up a 6 month emergency fund.