It's supposed to be a teachable shorthand for the idea that you are more likely to kill your startup by chasing enough growth to outrun spending than you are to

It's supposed to be a teachable shorthand for the idea that you are more likely to kill your startup by chasing enough growth to outrun spending than you are to improve your chances of success. That's a meaningful evaluation, not a truism. Using your sports analogy, it would be like a coach getting the attention of a bunch of hotshots to improve defense by telling them they need their opponents to score fewer points to win.