I'm not saying that "reading articles" and "doing it yourself" are opposed at all. I read a ridiculous amount about other people's experiences... including old

I'm not saying that "reading articles" and "doing it yourself" are opposed at all. I read a ridiculous amount about other people's experiences... including old business books, 10, 15, 50 years old, because the principles are still the same, and their experiences are still valid. But, when it comes down to it... how do you handle a startup before it's profitable? Simple: the same way you'd handle unemployment, a sabbatical, taking time off to take care of a baby, or whatever else you'd want to do that would drastically limit (or entirely eliminate) your income. You create a budget, you decide how long you plan to live without income, you figure out a way to come up with the product of Your Budget x Months Without Income. Information and advice on budgeting for any type of time-without-income will do the trick for you, if you need more guidance. Startups aren't special. What good would it help you to know how much my rent is?