Paul Downs: if you don't understand why a boss wouldn't give up, don't start your own company

From the New York Times You're The Boss blog. Paul Downs, a regular contributor, owns a furniture-making shop in Philadelphia. This exchange resulted from his post on his reasons for and approach to firing people.

Comment: If Mr. Downs’ company ran out of money in 2008, doesn’t that say something about HIS performance? Why didn’t he fire himself then?

Downs's response: Yes, it does say something about my performance, and it also says something about the economy in 2008. My mistakes cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars. As for why I didn’t quit, well, if you don’t understand, then I would suggest that you never try to start your own company.