“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”

Everyone knows it. Every founder has been told it. It is the most recycled piece of advice in the startup world and it is wrong.

The second best time to plant a tree is not now. It is when the soil is ready, the season is right, and you have water. Plant in the wrong conditions and the timing is irrelevant.

Founders who raise because the window feels open, not because the business is ready, are planting in January and wondering why nothing grew. The urgency is real. The preparation is optional, apparently.

The best time to raise was when you had more traction. The second best time is when you have enough to make the first conversation embarrassing to walk away from. Not before.