Inc.

It’s a pet project. But you have to know when to kill it

NO ONE LAUNCHES AN INITIATIVE assuming it’s going to fail. “We start with truly high hopes for any project,” says Meir Statman, a professor of finance at Santa Clara University and author of Finance for Normal People. “But then things happen.” The market shifts, a rival crowds you out, or some minor-seeming tech hurdle reveals its Gordian-knot nature. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to just walk away. “It’s very hard psychologically for people to let go of sunk costs,” Statman says. “As long as a project’s

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Inc.

Inc.6 min read
Steve Young Shares Lessons From the Private Equity Playbook With a First-Time Founder
Not many entrepreneurs have both professional football and private equity on their résumés. But Steve Young has always been something of an overperformer. During his 15-year career in the NFL, the Hall of Fame quarterback earned himself three Super B
Inc.2 min read
Sheila Johnson
As told to Christine Lagorio-Chafkin SHEILA JOHNSON IS America’s first Black female billionaire. She’s lived multiple entrepreneurial journeys, from co-founding BET in 1980 to creating her luxury resort management company in 2005. She’s since purchas
Inc.1 min read
Piersten gaines
26 Going Fishing for Sharks FOUNDER AND CEO OF PRESSED ROOTS Piersten Gaines's first real pitch, to Shark Tank‘s “Mr. Wonderful,” Kevin O'Leary, did not go well. To start, her concept for Pressed Roots—a Dallas-based salon chain focused on curly and

Related Books & Audiobooks