Ask HN: What was your failed startup and why did it fail?
7radialstub16/4/2025, 6:52:50 PM
Comments (1)
gwbas1c ยท 2d ago
I don't post publicly about this very often, because when a startup fails emotions run high and it's very difficult to be objective.
In general: My co-founder and I couldn't get each other out of our comfort zones. He kept letting his imagination run away, which made it nearly impossible to plan anything. I spent a bit too much time coding, but when I'd go hit the pavement to find customers, my partner wouldn't follow up with them.
There was a point about 10 weeks into the process where I knew it wasn't going to work out. I tried to fire my co-founder and go alone, but my co-founder talked me into continuing to work together.
In hindsight, I should started with my co-founder as an advisor, and worked alone until I found someone who was better at rounding out my skills and pulling me out of my comfort zone. It took me too long to recognize that he couldn't stop his imagination from running away. (He's had great success as an advisor to other peoples' startups, BTW.)
In general: My co-founder and I couldn't get each other out of our comfort zones. He kept letting his imagination run away, which made it nearly impossible to plan anything. I spent a bit too much time coding, but when I'd go hit the pavement to find customers, my partner wouldn't follow up with them.
There was a point about 10 weeks into the process where I knew it wasn't going to work out. I tried to fire my co-founder and go alone, but my co-founder talked me into continuing to work together.
In hindsight, I should started with my co-founder as an advisor, and worked alone until I found someone who was better at rounding out my skills and pulling me out of my comfort zone. It took me too long to recognize that he couldn't stop his imagination from running away. (He's had great success as an advisor to other peoples' startups, BTW.)