Out of cash
You ran out of cash after 10 decisions. Most of those calls may have looked reasonable on their own, which is how it usually happens.
It costs money, but the deadline turns out to be negotiable, and you stay in control.
Play againCheck your real numbers
What each decision was about
The big customer wants a discount
You chose: Offer 5% for a two-year contract.
Customer concentration turns every negotiation into a risk decision.
A star leaves for a rival
You chose: Offer a smaller raise and a path to lead the team.
One person holding the relationships is a business risk long before they resign.
AI pitch at the board table
You chose: Announce a company-wide AI program.
AI value comes from a specific workflow with clean data and an owner, not from an announcement.
Slow-paying customers
You chose: Offer a small discount for early payment.
Profit and cash are different things, and receivables are often the cheapest cash you can find.
A shiny new market
You chose: Test it with one person and a clear stop date.
Expansion is a focus decision first and a revenue decision second.
The quality problem
You chose: Fix them all quietly, without explaining.
Trust is usually lost in how you respond, not in the original mistake.
Your team is exhausted
You chose: Pay a bonus and ask for one more push.
Capacity problems look like motivation problems until you measure them.
A competitor cuts prices
You chose: Match the price cut.
A price war is only worth entering if you know your unit economics better than your rival does.
The founder bottleneck
You chose: Hand decisions to two managers, with clear limits.
A company that needs its CEO for everything is harder to grow and harder to sell.
An unexpected offer
You chose: Hire an adviser and slow the process down.
The best time to prepare for a sale is well before anyone asks.