Definition
An unpredictable, high-impact event (like a pandemic or 2008 financial crisis) that destroys startups with poor runway planning; basically 'God's RNG function running against you.'
Example Usage
COVID was a black swan event that shut down our B2B travel product; we had six months of runway and survived on venture debt like we were playing financial chess.
Origin
Concept popularized by Nassim Nicholas Taleb; adopted in business risk analysis
Fun Fact
The 2008 financial crisis was a black swan that killed hundreds of VCs and thousands of startups; the 2020 COVID lockdown killed almost nothing because every company had $1B in cash
Source: Risk analysis and business terminology
Related Terms
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See “Black Swan Event” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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