What They Don’t Tell You on Entrepreneur Instagram
Philadelphia’s Birdhouse Gelato is shutting down.
Not because the product sucked. Not because of bad reviews. Not because of poor foot traffic. But because the owner lost his day job, and with it, his lifeline. But the business? That thing was running on vibes and a W-2. Once the job disappeared, so did the business. People are heartbroken. Local press called it “a hidden gem.” The flavors were creative. The vibes were great. The shop had real character. And yet — on August 2nd, it’s done.
I’ve been there. I’ve lost a job. I’ve felt the floor fall out from under me. I’ve laid awake at 2:30 AM, half-asleep but mentally running cash flow projections, trying to solve problems in Google Sheets that reality was throwing at me in real time. I’ve sat up at 4 AM with a spreadsheet open, trying to figure out how to stretch $400 over a $4,000 problem. So I say this not to mock him — but because I’ve learned the hard way and know what happens when you build something without a safety net.
I still live in spreadsheets — not because I like them, but because any entrepreneur who isn’t obsessed with their numbers is playing with fire.
