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- 1973's Oil Shock: How One Embargo Killed Companies and What Today’s Founders Must Learn
1973's Oil Shock: How One Embargo Killed Companies and What Today’s Founders Must Learn
Benjamin Friedman
March 24, 2026
Morning beehiivcommunity!
This newsletter turns experience into actionable lessons for your startup. As a growth partner for visionary founders, we sharpen leadership skills and unlock growth potential.
When Oil Cutoffs Rewired the World: Founders' Playbook for Zero Single-Point Risks
In 1973, the oil crisis crippled America: prices quadrupled overnight, factories idled, and GM alone cut 83,000 jobs as gas-guzzlers rusted on lots. Truckers rioted amid empty highways and shuttered stations.
Small businesses fought back. Truckers formed co-ops to pool diesel and share routes, cutting costs. Gas stations added mini-marts stocked with shelf-stable goods, boosting revenues. Manufacturers ditched stockpiles for just-in-time local bartering, stabilizing cash flows.
Founders today can make similar adjustments: listen to stakeholders for early signals, test with fractional experts before hiring, and blend automation with people for flexibility and speed. Building redundancy now can prevent a crisis and create an edge.
You can read the full piece in this week’s full blog post HERE.
Go Wide: A Life Less Curated explores how major historical events have shaped today’s world and what they might signal about the future. Do you agree? What else should we dive into? Share your thoughts at [email protected].
Gen Z & Personal Finance: Designing Wealth on Your Terms
What if money could fuel purpose 𝘢𝘯𝘥 productivity by removing stress?
This event on April 8 at 6 pm in NYC speaks to two audiences.
Gen Z Change-Makers: School taught about ancient Rome, not paycheck realities. Money means flexibility, purpose, and reaching your life goals.
You can learn to:
💰Build simple money systems (even with irregular income)
🎯Align spending and investing with your values
🌱Make choices that power the life you want
Business Leaders: Financial stress quietly drains workplace productivity. Financial autonomy is now a top employee benefit. This session shows you how next-gen talent can use fintech to crush debt, build wealth, and stay focused on their mission.
Panelists:
• Tanya Van Court, Founder and CEO of Goalsetter
• Sofia Figueroa, Senior Financial Planner at Ellevest
• Ronnie Green, Co-Founder and CEO of AlgoPear
• Katrin Kaurov, Co-Founder and CEO of Frich
Moderator, Benjamin Friedman, President of Build Scale Grow and Managing Director of the New York Tech CFO Group
The event is kindly organized with the help of Sharely, offering embedded stock donations for fintechs, and supported by Carl Eppers.
Join us to turn financial stress into your competitive edge. Register HERE.
Expert Tips for Startups
Table: Where Founders Get Real Answers
What Founders Are Trying to Figure Out:
• Do I actually need a co-founder?
• Should my last dollars go to product or distribution?
• Everyone says “raise now” but what risks aren’t on the term sheet?
• How do I get noticed without playing the hype game?
Since 2018, Table's gathered 1,200+ founders, advisors, and investors to pressure-test ideas and share playbooks. Founders share questions, groups vote, and discuss 5 minutes per topic. Vague worries become concrete next steps.
Leave with proven tactics, problem-solving connections, and clearer thinking.
There’s a seat waiting for you at Table. Join us on Thursday, March 25, at 9:00 AM. Register HERE.
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Need Some Help?
What if the quietest person in the room is the one who changes the world?
Build Scale Grow provides expert strategies and clear metrics for social impact, EdTech, and health tech startups, with a focus on introverted founders. With five successful M&As in ten years, we’ll help your startup reach its full potential and beyond.
Book a free 30-minute call HERE to see how we can help.