Systems & Side-eyes

Systems & Side-eyes

The Hidden Taxes Inside Messy Startups

The costs founders are paying long before they show up in a financial model.

Katie Barnes's avatar
Katie Barnes
May 13, 2026
∙ Paid

You are leaky…

Sorry to be so forward about it, buuut it’s the truth of 99% of the startups I’ve worked with. You’re paying for costs you never even thought of.

The biggest offenders:

  • duplicated work

  • delays due to poor communication across the team

  • burnt-out employees

  • meetings that lead to more confusion than clarity

Founders are busy doing ALL of the things and can easily miss these silent killers.

Let’s dive into what this actually looks like:

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