My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
1–10 of 273 posts
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#2[deleted]
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#3[deleted]
She did mention an "emotional rollercoaster".
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#4[deleted]
She describes feeling undeserving of heaping praise, panic attacks, sacrificing relationships and friendships in the name of enterprise, hitting bottom, wondering if she should have quit sooner, and finally, relief and hope for the future.
In a world where most tech-related articles mythologize founders, it's sobering to read one that doesn't.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#5[deleted]
"Let me tell you — failure fucking sucks."
"I felt like I was drowning in a black ocean, and I couldn’t see any light at the surface. I didn’t know which way to swim."
"I was fucking tired — physically and emotionally. I wasn’t sleeping properly."
"I had no bandwidth for anything else."
"I felt physically sick all day"
"I felt shame, guilt, embarrassment ..."
"I was scared I’d meet someone new and they’d ask me what I do"
"I was also embarrassed because I couldn’t afford to pay for anything..."
"I wasn’t depressed so much as disappointed."
..and on and on.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#6Come back stronger Nikki. Best wishes and good luck
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#7You will do well II time around.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#8There's some very old entrepreneurial wisdom that says if your business can make it past year 4, it has staying power. I thought that was bullshit until I made it past year 4 and right about that time we discovered efficiencies, lucrative markets, a kick-ass business model and what we are really good at.
And yeah, not having money is really really awful, especially when it goes on for years with no certainty that it will ever change. But as entrepreneurs, that's how we do.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#9I had a big failure years ago. It was horrible, and in retrospect there were a lot of really screwed up things going on from day one. This included a business partner who turned out to be a delusional sociopath, etc.
Nevertheless I learned a tremendous amount. You learn things by going through it in the trenches that cannot be taught in school.
Currently working toward attempt two, which is probably much more likely to be successful.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#10You will do well II time around.
This is true. I don't have some a scientific study that proves this - just every entrepreneur friend I have that is kicking ass right now as an example of this being true.