That's not the worst case scenario, that's the second best case scenario (the best being that your startup succeeds). The worst case is that you spend a lot of

That's not the worst case scenario, that's the second best case scenario (the best being that your startup succeeds). The worst case is that you spend a lot of time floundering unsure if your startup will succeed or not. Meanwhile your debt is growing, your eating bologna sandwiches every night, your relationship with friends and/or family is strained because you're in a bad mood all the time or because you've borrowed money from them. Then you decide that your startup has failed and you try to move back into corporate jobs except it's harder to find one this time because you've got the experience of an entrepreneur not of a recent graduate or because the economy is down and demand is low, or a number of other reasons. You're going to find a job but it's taking longer and that debt number keeps growing. Your dream has turned into a nightmare that'll take 5-10 years to pay off. That's the worst case scenario, and a good reason to take the decision very seriously.