founders paras chopra, chapter by chapter
64. Wealth Is What Money Is For
Money is one instrument for obtaining desired states; it is not the desired state itself.
Wealth consists of what a person actually wants and has—health, safety, time, relationships, comfort, meaningful experience—not the tokens sometimes used to acquire it. Money, fame, and power can become status games detached from those ends and can even destroy wealth through anxiety or damaged relationships.
Define the life or change the startup is meant to produce before optimizing its financial score. Ask which parts require money and which do not, then measure success accordingly. This distinction can clarify company goals and reduce the stress of treating every monetary fluctuation as a change in real wealth.
Original sketch and model by Paras Chopra. Read the source chapter.