Why Most Founders Never Reach $1M — And What Faith Has to Do With It

This week at Startup Church, we talked about three things that quietly determine whether a founder ever breaks through — or stays stuck forever.

Not tactics.
Not hustle.
Not motivation.

Foundations.

Most founders don’t fail loudly.
They fade out slowly.

They work hard.
They believe they’re doing the right things.
And yet… revenue never comes. Momentum dies. Confidence erodes.

Let’s talk about why.

1. Premature GTM Is the Silent Startup Killer

90% of startups die trying to push past their first $1M in revenue.

Not because the idea is terrible.
Not because the founder is lazy.

But because they go to market too early — with a business model that was never fully developed or ruthlessly tested.

They confuse activity with progress.
They confuse faith with presumption.

God doesn’t bless disorder.
And GTM doesn’t fix a flawed model.

If your foundation is broken, pushing harder only accelerates failure.

2. God Already Signed the Check — You Decide How Big It Is

Life gives every believer a blank check.

The funding source?
Over 6,000 promises in God’s Word.

But here’s the truth most Christians never learn:

Your future lifestyle isn’t limited by money.
It’s limited by your capacity to receive by faith what God has already promised — within His will.

Most believers live beneath their inheritance.
Not because God withholds.
But because they never align their faith, thinking, and action with His Word.

Faith isn’t hoping.
Faith is receiving.

3. Gratefulness Is Your Unfair Advantage

Miracles don’t grow in anxiety.
They grow in gratitude.

Gratefulness is God’s miracle soil.

When you start each day thankful —
for what you already have
and for what is already yours by faith —

You shift from lack to abundance.
From fear to clarity.
From striving to execution.

Grateful founders think better.
Lead better.
Build better.

It’s not a personality trait.
It’s a discipline.

Watch This Week’s Startup Church

In this week’s Startup Church, I unpack all three of these ideas in depth — practically and biblically — with direct application for founders building in the real world.

If you’re stuck…
If you’re rebuilding…
If you need clarity, alignment, or help…

You’re not alone.

And you don’t have to figure this out by yourself.

See you inside Startup Church.

- Gerald

PS from me.

I personally mentor just 12 founders at a time inside each Elevate Startup Incubator cohort.

I teach them how to GTM properly,
nail their first $1M in revenue,
become investor-ready in the process,
and begin scaling toward $100M+.

It’s fierce. And it has lasting bite.

→ If you want in, email me directly.