The Rules No Business Can Escape

On this episode of Admin Access, Dominic and Evans unpack the simple rules every business lives or dies by, guided by a book Evans has been reading, and bring back the question the Twiga episode left open: why do startups really fail? Evans makes his case, citing that behind the market forces and the funding stories, most businesses come down to how much they sell, how much they spend on what they need to make it, and how much it costs to keep the business running. The goal is to grow sales while keeping the other two as low as possible. He argues that investment complicates this, because money pays for making and running a business, while sales have to come from customers. Every raise becomes a bet that customers will show up in the numbers investors imagined, and a startup valued on sales it has yet to make starts the race already behind, with its costs growing faster than its demand. They get into why cutting costs looks like failure to the outside world even when a company is simply becoming more efficient, and why every funding round demands a bigger story than the last. They also question how some companies survive for years without making a profit. Evans’s working theory is that the business itself has value, through its brand, its people and its customers, and that deeper markets give struggling companies more time to find a buyer. The episode wraps with advice for founders to be honest about what you actually sell and what it costs you to get there, because the numbers will catch up one way or another. To keep up with Dominic’s and Evan's Journey, check out their LinkedIn:  / dominic-mulinda     / evans-kanyithia-munene   00:00 Intro 01:54 The 3 Rules Every Business Lives or Dies By 05:29 Why Investment Puts Startups Under Pressure 08:52 Why Software Companies Face the Same Rules 11:09 Why Startups Can't Easily Cut Costs After Raising Money 11:55 Why Layoffs Look Like Failure (Even When They're Not) 13:56 WeWork Explained: The Business That Posed as Software 16:53 Why Startups Run Out of Time to Succeed 18:20 How Do Companies Survive Without Making a Profit? 19:46 How Listings and Acquisitions Buy Struggling Companies Time 21:51 Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce: Companies That Keep Changing Hands 23:24 Quickmart IPO: Are IPOs the Exception or the Rule? 24:15 Why Startups Are Judged More Harshly Than Public Companies 25:27 Why Africa Needs Private Secondary Markets for Startups 27:07 Bloopers _______________________________________________________________ Join Dominic & Evans as they explore the world of tech and share their bold takes with guests on Admin Access Subscribe to our podcast, drop a like, comment, and hit the notification bell to stay updated with our latest content. Don't forget to spread the word! Sharing is caring! 🌟 Follow us on social media: 📸 Instagram:  / adminaccess_   💼 LinkedIn:  / admin-access   ♪ TikTok:  / admin.access_   Interested in partnering with us? Drop us an email at: contact@adminacccess.tech 📧