Be cautious about linking irreversible commercial decisions to an administratively implemented program whose published terms may change. Sequencing a company sale, a resignation or a relocation around an expected outcome creates exposure that the program itself does not remove.
Keep reversible decisions reversible
A sensible discipline is to ask, for each step, what would happen if the program's terms changed or the filing did not succeed. Steps that would still be reasonable in that case can proceed; steps that would not should wait. Preparing the officially requested supporting documents, obtaining an assessment of the underlying category, and getting legal advice are all in the first group, because they retain their value without committing the gift. Selling a business, giving notice or committing to a U.S. lease belong in the second. Because terms and processing arrangements for a developing program can change, re-verify them at each decision point from the official program information, and involve a licensed U.S. immigration attorney throughout.
Do not let a reported launch date substitute for current written terms. First verify the official payment process, background review, source-of-funds expectations, and any immigration-category steps that still apply. The described payment is made by the applicant to the U.S. government; Gold Card is not a conventional visa and does not eliminate separate adjudication. Hypothetical example: A robotics-maintenance entrepreneur delays a financing round to fund a possible application. The prudent decision is whether verified program terms justify changing an otherwise sound commercial timetable.
A written comparison of the verified terms and financing consequences should be retained before the entrepreneur abandons another viable option.