That's probably taking it a bit too far; but if you fund yourself by borrowing from someone who will cut off your right hand if you fail to pay him back, you just may work harder to make that money.

This is an old idea. From the Art of War: "At the critical moment, the leader of an army acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks away the ladder behind him. He carries his men deep into hostile territory before he shows his hand. ... He burns his boats and breaks his cooking-pots."

Well, the boss suggested to invest much of what you have early on, but on things with (perceived) returns. Sure, if you can get from 0 to product with nothing more than the laptop you already have, and if your money buys the unknown amount of time you'll need, this sounds like crippling.