Unicorn or Camel, which is better?

Matthew Bishop
1 min readJan 27, 2022

Now when we just think about the animals themselves, I believe that the answer is pretty clear, the unicorn is by far superior. However when its time to look at start up businesses this can be a tricky question.

Unicorns

A unicorn in the world of start up businesses is considered a business worth millions of dollars that has very rapid growth. These particular companies tend to stand out, as something special. These start ups are often times a company that gains popularity very quickly among people and earns revenue in a very short amount of time. Often times a “too good to be true” company or idea.

Camels

Camels are the “strong and steady” who can endure anything. the “frontiers” there to show the unicorns how to handle dramatic changes in the economy without having large affects on their business. They are able to grow and thrive in any condition. Camels have no interest in rapidly building their company but rather focus on a balanced growth path by using things like right pricing from the start, cost management through life cycle, and by changing the trajectory.

Which is better

Although many may believe that it is better to be a unicorn, in these uncertain times of a pandemic and not knowing what will happen with businesses I would much rather be a camel. I would rather know that although I may not thrive as quickly, that I would be able to survive and endure the harsh conditions until things turn back to normal.

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