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My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
101–110 of 273 posts
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#102"It got to the point where I had to call the consulate hotline every single day and split test different types of crying…” "for some reason a 5'11 woman in 7 inch heels commands more talking time and attention from investors…” "As a woman going out in NYC my nights were normally cheap because cute guys would buy me drinks, but I am not the kind of woman who expects that.” Why did YC ever bet on such a dud? Like hones…
She's being ultra honest here about her feelings and opinions. You can agree or not but before you judge too hard, think twice how hard is it to tell your startup story when it fails. We are all young and naive once, hence we learn and grow.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#103It struck me when she glossed over how/why her two co-founders left. There's got to be a deeper story to why two "co-founders" would leave right when 1.2M is secured. She said they decided to tell me they were leaving the company without even a hint of warning - my guess is there was no agreement in the first place or a lot of unnoticed warnings. To conclude she's just too trustful is almost certainly a flawed conclu…
Hey Andrew, I actually glossed over that out of respect for the 2 guys. My purpose was not to bitch about them, and many people who will read this post in my network will know who I'm talking about. There were mistakes made on both sides, but in the end I bent over backwards to accomodate them and as soon as YC was over and they could say they were YC founders they bailed. I'm not saying its entirely their fault - I…
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Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#104Nikki, I just sent you a request for an interview on Mixergy. This is a courageous post.
is this a joke ? why are you telling others ?
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#105Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hey Andrew, I actually glossed over that out of respect for the 2 guys. My purpose was not to bitch about them, and many people who will read this post in my network will know who I'm talking about. There were mistakes made on both sides, but in the end I bent over backwards to accomodate them and as soon as YC was over and they could say they were YC founders they bailed. I'm not saying its entirely their fault - I…
I'm curious what YCombinator has to say about that kind of behaviour. Is this a unique case? Has it happened before? How do you prevent it from happening? What's the benefit of being able to say you're a YC founder?
>What's the benefit of being able to say you're a YC founder?
Being able to attach the YC brand to your resume is probably very helpful when seeking investment for a new venture or applying for a job at a BigCo.
Although I have no knowledge of the situation beyond this (very well written) post, I don't think it's farfetched that a couple developers would join an existing company just to experience YC and improve their Valley credentials.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#10622 is so young. At 21 I was on a plane headed home from another country. I cried in the office. I cried on the plane home. We'd Burned almost half a million dollars, a couple of years of work, let go a team - and had nothing to show for it. With no degree, no more money and no job I moved back in with parents. So I suppose this article resonates, and in the most literal sense - I've been there. I think the hardest th…
22 is young. yeah, when kids in other countries can't even get food , walk 10km for glass of water we are wasting money on these so called , self proclaimed "start up" people and promote such behavior.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#107One thing Nikki has going for her is that she's young. At 22 and already having the experience she's had, she has a great opportunity to learn from those lessons, tap into the network she's built, and ultimately do something great. I love the aggressiveness and the spunk she clearly has. Looking back on my own life (I'm one of the "older crowd" in HN terms), I wish I'd been that ambitious at that age. Or, maybe ambit…
Strange, I just turned 40 and I feel better prepared than ever :)
Yeah, that's kinda the "catch 22" of it all. I'm definitely more prepared now, for sure. But my feeling is, if this startup fails, by the time it fails (and I won't give up until I'm verging on death anyway), I don't expect to be able to muster up enough mojo to pour this kind of energy into another shot. Whether it's emotionally, mentally, spiritually or physically, I think I'll be spent once this is over.
Now maybe I'm wrong, so who knows...
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#108> 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…
that's good point.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#109So I see another startup failed story. Thinking I'll read it later after getting something done. an hour later, I start reading...
Right in the first sentence I see "99dresses". I have to admit, it took me a minute to process what's going on. She has been receiving significant coverage in mainstream Australian media. As someone, who is running startup from Sydney (there aren't so many of us), this felt like someone in your family has passed away even though I've never even met Nikki.
I'm not even sure what I'm writing here... I just feel sad.
Re: My startup failed, and this is what it feels like
#110I met Nikki while I lived at a Hacker House in Mountain View for a few weeks in January 2012, having recently moved to the Bay Area. I remember being impressed at the time by her intensity, and by the fact that she actually had a real product with real users that solved a real problem. An audible "oh no" came out of my lips when I clicked this link and realized I was reading about someone I had shared a few dinners w…
This.
I remember sitting opposite Nikki in co-working spaces (Fishburners) and incubators (Pollenizer) back in Sydney throughout 2010 and 2011. Her gumption, determination and focus back then was (and is) a force to be reckoned with. If there is anyone who's failure I would never question - it would be hers.
It's heartbreaking to hear these stories, even more so when it's someone you know. But Nikki - thanks for sharing. We're all made a little stronger for it. For the rest of us it should serve as a reminder that no matter how hard we strive there will be always be forces outside our control that shape our destiny.