A problem many start ups encounter though is that they're only sustainable whilst doing non-scalable things. Using the author's example perhaps it's like they

A problem many start ups encounter though is that they're only sustainable whilst doing non-scalable things. Using the author's example perhaps it's like they only way they actually convert customers is if the CEO calls them. Or sometimes it's more to do with engineering. Each customer will only stay if you implement a feature that costs you more than their CLV. More than once I've worked at a startup, or a company that has acquired a startup where this is the case. And when you suggest to fix the problem usually people can't quite comprehend it, so instead it becomes "you're the problem" Whenever this is the case it eventually catches up with the. Sometimes through burnout and burn and churn employees, sometimes because they finally learn you can't sell a dollar for 80cents forever.