Yeah, you failed... but you put yourself out there... that's what really living is all about.
My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
81–90 of 273 posts
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#82> I had to fly back to Australia to get a working visa as soon as the funding paperwork was signed, and the next day my two “co-founders” decided to tell me they were leaving the company without even a hint of warning.
Hindsight and all that. But still, don't just take on anybody as co-founder, easy come, easy go.
Super tough to read all this, I'm really sorry your hard work did not work out but you've done all that could be required of you and then some.
I very much recognize your trust issues, but over time even that will fade.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#83Maybe I missed it, but how did the author get going with 99dresses as a non-technical person with no college degree?
EDIT: Nevermind. Found the answers. Turns out to be a pretty cool story actually: http://wpcurve.com/y-combinator/
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#84Nikki, I just sent you a request for an interview on Mixergy. This is a courageous post.
Would be great to hear about Nikki on Mixergy. (Hi Andrew)
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#85The crazy thing is that people go through this experience and want to do it again. A failed startup leaves you burned out, emotionally wrecked, and financially crippled. Why take another ride on that roller coaster? Pride? Status? Money?
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#86I take complete responsibility for this failure. Were other people involved in 99dresses? Of course. Was any of this their fault? Absolutely not. I understand what you're going for here (and it's nice), but it's fair to let your team share responsibility for the defeat. Otherwise it never really feels like they were part of the successes.
I've just published a similar piece and came to an almost identical conclusion. I can't speak for her, but in my opinion everything is everyone's fault: success and failure. I'm assuming that's what she's getting at, the idea that if something's going wrong and none of you did anything about it, then it's everyone's fault.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#87[deleted]
It's very easy for one to snipe at single quotes in any article reflecting on failure. It's unfair to isolate Nikki's honest reflections on gender, failure and emotions and call her "grossly immature" and "a dud". When YC interviewed her she had traction, persistence and appeared to be building something that people want. Even though Nikki's first startup may have failed very visibly, she's been graceful enough to help us learn from it.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#88The crazy thing is that people go through this experience and want to do it again. A failed startup leaves you burned out, emotionally wrecked, and financially crippled. Why take another ride on that roller coaster? Pride? Status? Money?
For the same reason you ride a roller coaster: For the thrill of the ride.
You also get to work for something you care about.
And yes, there's the possibility of high financial rewards, but that's unlikely.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#89My uncle used to say that instead of having the handful of successful entrepreneurs come back to b school to tell their war stories -- they should sponsor at least one lecture of an entrepreneur who, in their most recent enterprise, failed. And I would tend to agree.
Very well-written. Makes your readers stronger in novel ways for reading it. Thanks for sharing.
It's all about knowing how to light up parts of the graph in life though. Now you know. Second time will go further.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#90[deleted]
Immature? Starting a company in another country when you're 19-21 is hardly the mark of someone that's immature. She's not giving anybody a bad name - she's got a handful of experiences and accomplishments that will help her career immensely.
And comparing her to the Collison brothers? 2 incredibly smart guys that were well-accomplished and millionaires before entering YC?
Nikki, I really enjoyed the write-up. Looking forward to see where your next adventure takes you.