Year 3: The Silent Startup Killer Nobody Warns You About

Everyone talks about the grind of Year 1 and the momentum of Year 2 — but almost nobody talks about Year 3, the year that wipes out nearly half of all startups. Today, Joe Mkhitaryan breaks down why Year 3 becomes the breaking point for most founders… and how you can survive it.

In this video, we’ll cover:

Why Year 1 = adrenaline, Year 2 = traction, and Year 3 = responsibility

The trap that destroys 42% of startups (and how to avoid it)

Why founders fall in love with ideas instead of customer problems

How “fake scaling” — fast hiring, fancy offices, paid ads — drains cash

Why a startup is not a family… but a high-performance sports team

The systems you must build before Year 3 hits

If your business depends solely on your energy, charisma, or memory — it will not survive. Systems, cash flow, and real demand are the only way through Year 3.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/4tcknpOs54XmKhxEAn63yo?si=62c3d7eddbe54172

👍 Like, comment, share & subscribe to support the channel.

#startupadvice #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth #founders #yearthree