Programmer: I'm wary about putting this into production without backups.

Manager: But we really need to launch today. We'll get backups going next week, I promise.

Programmer: OK... gulp.

Ultimately, a startup involves taking a lot of calculated risks. Miso decided that the benefits from launching early outweighed the risks from losing data (physical media failures, fat finger, bugs, etc.). They were wrong. They gambled and lost. The successful companies we hear about are the ones that gambled and won.

I've worn a sysadmin hat for many years. You're not supposed to gamble, or take risks of any kind. You are supposed to make sure. To make absolutely sure.

The successful companies we hear about did not gamble, in my view.

There are plenty of ways we ought to take risks in business, but basic IT practice is not one of them.