"Every new business is born in debt. That’s not a possibility — it’s a certainty. But here’s what most founders miss: not all debt shows up on your balance sheet.

You may not owe money to a bank, but you’re probably in debt with:

• Talent debt — hiring B-players because A-players were too expensive or intimidating.
• Process debt — skipping structure for speed, thinking you'll 'figure it out later.'
• Management debt — avoiding hard conversations, keeping poor leaders in place.
• Technical debt — patching solutions instead of solving problems.
• Cultural debt — tolerating low standards, weak values, or poor communication.
• Brand debt — launching without clarity, consistency, or credibility.

All of it compounds. And all of it comes due — with interest.

The game isn't avoiding debt. The game is choosing the kind of debt that gives you room to grow and will be the cheapest to repay later. Because if you're wrong, it won't just cost you money — it'll cost you momentum, people, and time.

And that’s the real currency in business: time to execute before your debts bury you."

People overestimate the value of intelligence and underestimate the value of being able to endure getting kicked in the nuts for a few years straight while keeping a smile on your face. — Alex Hormozi

You cannot both want average people to approve of your decisions and live an above average life.

The price of admission is the loss of the approval. — Alex Hormozi

People underestimate how much brute force you have to use to will your goals into existence. — Alex Hormozi