99%+ of companies aren&#x27;t startups, even if they just &quot;started&quot;.  Why would you expect the advice to be general?<p>Almost by definition, a startup is burning at a unsustainable rate while looking for a model that will make it sustainable and then some.  The author is suggesting a point where you can decide that just isn&#x27;t going to happen and bow out with some grace and avoid the almost inevitable pain and mess if you don&#x27;t.  It wasn&#x27;t even suggested as a hard and fast point.<p>I don&#x27;t believe most people who let a company burn to the waterline do it because they haven&#x27;t given up &quot;faith&quot;, but because they are unable to be honest with themselves that they have failed until it is unavoidable.  Doing this to yourself is unfortunate, but there is a special level in hell for people who take employees with them unawares.