What should you check when someone says “90% of startups fail”?
A striking percentage can hide several different definitions. Does startup mean a new workplace, a new company, or a venture-backed firm? Does failure mean closure, bankruptcy, or missing an investor’s target? U.S. establishment survival data show why the unit, starting cohort, and elapsed time must be visible before a number becomes useful.
Questions you could explore
- Which definition would make the statistic relevant to the claim being made?
- Would surviving and succeeding mean the same thing?
Start reading
- US Bureau of Labor StatisticsUS Bureau of Labor Statistics: establishment survival
Shows how survival depends on the cohort, elapsed years, and units being counted.
Ready to try your ideas aloud?
Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.