Startup & VC Jargon · Vice President level

"Ramen profitable"

"Ramen profitable" means a startup is generating just enough revenue to cover the founders' minimal living expenses, which is considered a meaningful early milestone.

Say this instead: covering basic living costs

How "Ramen profitable" shows up at work

A Paul Graham coinage that became a badge of scrappy legitimacy. Founders drop it at dinners to signal they are surviving without VC oxygen. The ramen is metaphorical; the lack of salary is not.

Buzzword

We've been ramen profitable for six months and just signed our first enterprise contract.

Plain English

We've been covering basic living costs for six months and just signed our first enterprise contract.

Corporate Rank: Vice President · Category: Startup & VC Jargon

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