Founders love to say their startup is their “baby.” But babies aren’t meant to be shut down. Startups are. They’re designed to grow fast, pivot hard, and sometimes die quickly. Impact is important, but without growth, there’s no sustainability. This piece unpacks why women founders often face harsher scrutiny, what survival capitalism looks like for Gen Z entrepreneurs, and why we need fewer “perfect” leaders and more imperfect builders who know when to let go.