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Started a stupid company. Failed.

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Re: Started a stupid company. Failed.

#281

Post by 13hours »

gxespino wrote: post #245
dennisgorelik wrote: post #126

You are in an unpleasant situation, but not in a tragedy by no means. To put things into perspective: imagine you have successful company but got pancreatic cancer. Your to-do list is pretty straightforward: 1) Put your failed startup aside. 2) Find a job ASAP. 3) Try to save your house. Your family would need it. Beg your bank to give you ~extra month until your next paycheck. 4) In about a year you may return to th…

I disagree about the house. Lose it. Strategic foreclosure is 100x better than continuing to pay for something you're going to lose anyway. Ride it out as long as you can, save what you can from the mortgage payments, then move into a rental when it's time to go.

Just curious, because other comments also mention staying as long as you can and then getting a rental : wouldn't the first part mess up your credit record so badly that you couldn't get a rental? Here in South Africa I'm pretty sure almost no landlord will rent you something with a bad credit record like that (having gone through the process of renting a place and seeing all the proof they require that you'll be able to pay). Probably because it's very hard to get rid of tenants once they're in though, so you have to make sure they're ok before they move in. Is it different in the States?

Same thing with employing someone here, you have to be very sure they'll fit, because it's VERY hard to fire someone.

Re: Started a stupid company. Failed.

#283

Post by thenomad »

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #173

To the OP: Thank you for sharing this. I'm sure it wasn't easy. I hope that some of the many folks offering help can give you a leg up. To everyone else: I like HN, but I often wish that it really was Hacker News instead of Startup News, and this is one reason why. I worked for a startup for a while, until it folded; now I'm maintaining servers at a university library, making mid-five digits a year, and I'm as happy…

Definitely.

"Lifestyle business" or even "enjoyable job" are not dirty phrases.

Re: Started a stupid company. Failed.

#284

Post by Choronzon »

Do Quit! At least for awhile,these experiences are emotionally and financially shattering and you will want to get a grip on both before you start attempt anything else or your will burn yourself out. Take some boring well paid contact for 6 months,then have another fresh look at things.You deserve some downtime dont be shy to give yourself and your family some.

Re: Started a stupid company. Failed.

#285

Post by j1o1h1n »

singular wrote: post #227
zedshaw wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, here we go again. You'll call me a cock, and then I'll rip you in half verbally, and then you'll forget that you called me a cock and go off telling everyone I'm such a big bad bullying meanie for all the horrible awful things I said to you, and then I'll be crushed by the general opinion all you highly influential meaningful people have about me that I'll... Wait, actually I don't give a fuck what you think. I…

...but this comment which is sincere, genuine and offered to someone for whom this could be greatly helpful has made me seriously reconsider. Kudos. I felt you'd appreciate an unhedged opinion rather than me adding a bunch of weasel words like "I had the impression, right or wrong, that you were a bullying cock..." I meant to say, very sincerely, that I was moved by your offer of help and it very much made me reconsi…

I hate to be go all happy family on you, but please avoid swear words in a public forum like hacker news. There are enough forums where that sort of behaviour is a part of the culture and it degrades everyone.

Re: Started a stupid company. Failed.

#286

Post by Angostura »

zedshaw wrote: post #195
singular wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have for a while thought of you as (total honesty here) a bullying cock (though talented at what you do), but this comment which is sincere, genuine and offered to someone for whom this could be greatly helpful has made me seriously reconsider. Kudos.

Well, here we go again. You'll call me a cock, and then I'll rip you in half verbally, and then you'll forget that you called me a cock and go off telling everyone I'm such a big bad bullying meanie for all the horrible awful things I said to you, and then I'll be crushed by the general opinion all you highly influential meaningful people have about me that I'll... Wait, actually I don't give a fuck what you think. I…

I think you greatly misunderstood the intent of that message. Still, I doubt you give a fuck what I think either, so as you were.

Re: Started a stupid company. Failed.

#287

Post by atmosx »

zedshaw wrote: post #13

Hey, other comments are going to give you a few lines telling you to not quit, that you should hang in there, and that it'll be alright. That may be true, but to me it sounds like you're possibly not doing well enough to make any of that possible, and you probably need to find work fast. Here's what I want to do: 1. I have a little list of companies looking for employees that I'll send you. Not much just companies th…

I loved your comment more than the story. Really, it's good to see that we people do actually care for one another. This kind of thing could happen to everybody.

Good luck helping that guy and others that have real problems, wish you both all the best.

Re: Started a stupid company. Failed.

#288

Post by wallzz »

Michael_Murray wrote: post #101

I'm on my 5th company. The first 3 failed so miserably that there's not even a crater from where they imploded. The fourth had one of the founders usurp control and steal >$1M from the rest of the team and we were left exactly where you are - tapping 401Ks, taking our savings to $0 (and in some cases The 5th hit $10M in revenue in 3 years (completely bootstrapped). Everyone else has great advice here - I just wanted…

pets ...hahahhahaha

Re: Started a stupid company. Failed.

#289

Post by easytiger »

themanthatfell wrote: post #120

My wife cried reading all of your comments. I guess we were looking for some sign that someone somewhere is pulling for us. During the first hour this post was up I hovered over the delete more than once. It doesn't seem right to bring an entire ecosystem of ambitious and wonderful people a story of failure. I guess I learned that hitting delete would be worse. Thank you from the 5.3 of us.

Why don't you describe what you were trying to monetise? Possibly someone here can see an opportunity in it?

Re: Started a stupid company. Failed.

#290

Post by dodyg »

This is my worst nightmare - I have had my company for 10 years and we've come close to this position twice, first in 2008 during the global economic collapse and second in 2011 when the country I am in had a revolution. I can still remember the stomach churning fear in my stomach during the worse periods.

Good luck to you and your family - it was a brave thing to do. I pray that you get back on your feet as soon as possible.

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