"Do I bet the farm or hold it all back?"

We often wonder whether every dollar of our personal savings should be going toward our startup, or toward our safety.

On the one hand, if we don't bet our cash on our startup, we're starving the very thing we need to grow with. On the other hand, if we spend that money, we'll never be able to sleep at night knowing our safe landing has been pulled away.

So do I spend it or save it?

Don't spend it all. Seriously — don't.

There's a point at which depleting all of our savings and personal cushion works against us. We start shifting our focus from "growing the business" to "surviving personally" (more than it already is!) and at that point, we're in a downward spiral.

How much do I keep in savings?

I...