Archived summary — the original Medium post may not be around forever, so here's a record of what it covers.
Draws on Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem to frame the early-stage founder grind as a role-playing game. The core comparison: startups and RPGs both run on the same loop — you start weak, take on challenges slightly above your level, and grind through them to level up. Founders who expect early wins to come easy, the way a AAA game eases you in, get discouraged fast.
The piece maps a few RPG mechanics onto startup life — party composition (who you bring on as co-founders and early hires matters as much as your own stats), grinding (most of the work is unglamorous repetition, not boss fights), and the long game (you're playing a campaign, not a single match — pace yourself accordingly).