The 3 Startup Stages, Bold Humility & Prayers That Get Answered
Oct 17, 2025In this week’s Startup Church, we unpacked three truths every faith-driven founder needs to master — and how they shape your path to growth, purpose, and peace of mind.
Whether you’re still pre-revenue or scaling past $10M, these lessons apply to every stage of your founder journey
1️⃣ The 3 Startup Stages That Actually Work
Most founders try to skip the foundational stages — and that’s why they stall before hitting $1M.
Here’s how we break it down inside our venture studio:
- Stage 1 — The Prep Phase. 8 key building blocks must be in place before you go-to-market. Miss one and you’ll pay for it later.
- Stage 2 — Product-Market Fit. Strong revenue — not “traction” or “potential.”
- Founders Get Paid First. When founders are financially stable, they make smart, calm decisions. When they’re broke, they panic and pivot into mistakes.
- Stage 3 — Scale. Once you hit $5M+, scale sustainably and intentionally.
The biggest mistake? Trying to scale before you’re even getting paid.
2️⃣ Flawed → Viable: The Real Startup Journey
Let’s be honest — every startup starts flawed.
In those early days, hubris runs the show. We think we know, until we realize we don’t.
That’s when the real education begins — the “stepping in it” phase.
The key is bold humility — the willingness to admit, “Yeah, I was wrong,” and keep learning forward.
After 41 years of building ventures and leading founders, I can tell you:
It’s not confidence that gets you there. It’s humility.
Confidence gets you started.
Humility keeps you growing.
3️⃣ Got Prayers? Here’s Why Mine Get Answered.
Here’s the thing about faith-driven entrepreneurship — it’s not about hoping God might show up.
It’s knowing He already has.
When I pray, I don’t wonder if it’ll happen.
I trust God for how it’ll happen.
That’s not arrogance — it’s alignment.
Because when your work is established by Him, He sustains it.
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” — Proverbs 16:3
Faith isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being certain of Who you trust.
Pray bold. Move forward like it’s already handled.
If you missed Startup Church live, make sure you watch the replay above — and join us next Thursday.
It’s where founders grow in faith, wisdom, and strategy every single week.
🕙 Join us live next Thursday for Startup Church
Every week, faith-driven founders from around the world gather to align their startup playbook with their spiritual playbook — so both heaven and earth work in your favor.
Blessings,
Gerald Duran, Managing Partner
CanaGlobal
P.S. Cohort #10 of our Elevate Startup Incubator starts November 18th, 2025.
12 weeks. Live sessions. High accountability. No excuses.
I’ll be working directly with founders who are serious about growth, purpose, and funding.
👉 Who wants a seat at my table?
