Quitting at the right time is a skill

The advice founders hear most often is to persist. Don’t give up. Push through. The world celebrates determination.

That advice is fine, except when it isn’t. There’s a flip side that rarely gets the same applause: knowing when to stop.

Most weak ideas don’t fail dramatically. They drift. The founder keeps going, hoping the signal will improve. The product doesn’t quite take off, but it doesn’t obviously die either. Months pass. Then a year. Then it’s hard to tell whether you’re building momentum or just refusing to move on.

Dropping an idea early — when the evidence has spoken — isn’t failure. It’s one of the most valuable skills you can build as a founder. Your time is the most limited thing you have. Spending it on the wrong idea is the most expensi...

When to drop an idea early (and move on faster)