The Freedom Startup

Essays

Sze Wong on building a business around customer value, ownership, and the life you want.

These six essays are published on Substack.

You've Been Playing the Wrong Game

Compare the goals of a founder-controlled business with the expectations of venture-backed growth.

Understand the difference between raising capital and earning money from customers.

Explore the argument for using AI to reduce the work and cost of testing a business.

Look at the intersection of your craft, domain knowledge, and the problems people bring to you.

Explore the distinction between business profit for a transition and invested wealth for longer-term independence.

Learn from an accounting-product mistake: a problem you understand may not be a problem other customers share.