If you're a startup founder with fiscal authority, do your darnedest not to sign long-term anything unless it reduces both long-term cost and risk more than it

If you're a startup founder with fiscal authority, do your darnedest not to sign long-term anything unless it reduces both long-term cost and risk more than it adds to liabilities. There are a bazillion dot-coms in the 1990's that optimistically over-expanded and got stuck paying rent for years afterward on empty buildings they furnished but never used. Seriously, expand only if you have people stacked three high and just enough to cover the next 1-2 years of conservative growth. And don't spend arms and legs on new furniture or other generic, high-depreciation items, get gently used kit from liquidators and recyclers. Enterprise shops throw out perfectly good stuff because they're redecorating or it's lifecycled out because it's recurring budgeted. Capture every advantage of their waste to your benefit. Put another way, don't waste cash to look rich, spend some to make staff and yourself comfortable enough to get the job done and keep morale/productivity up (Penny wise, pound wise.) A badge of honor for entrepreneurs is spending as least as possible with the best results. Only looney billionaires buy diamonds to use as doorstops. (Sure most startups flush cash down the drain, but there's no reason for founders to inordinately waste investor's cash because it counts against their reputation in future dealings.)