That's a way to look at things that has some value from a decision-making perspective, but it's not the only way. When people talk about there being little risk to opening a business nowadays, they mean there is little risk of an outcome more catastrophic than a little wasted time — the outcome might not necessarily be rosy, but you can keep going and hardly miss a beat. If you forgo that six-figure paycheck for a business that goes belly-up, good news: You're still the kind of person who can get a six-figure job tomorrow.