An obligation to independence

Independence isn't just nice to have—it's an obligation. When you're independent, you can make decisions based on what's right for your customers and your business, not what's right for your investors or board members.

Independence means you can say no to bad deals, toxic customers, and growth-at-all-costs mentality. It means you can take the long view instead of optimizing for the next quarter.

But independence isn't free. It requires discipline, careful spending, and sometimes saying no to opportunities that might seem attractive in the short term.

The payoff is worth it: the freedom to build the company you want, serve the customers you choose, and work on problems that matter to you.