HACKER Q&A
📣 failedagain

Should I quit starting companies?


I'm 31. I've started 4 companies, 2 with VC. All of them have failed with middling levels of success. Internally, I am unfazed and my top priority in life is to build cool shit until I die. Externally, I think I look like a confused loser burning my bridges.

For context:

- No formal education, no big logos, but worked my way up in design/eng at VC-backed SaaS for most of my 20s, then:

- 1st company was a simple consultancy. Did modestly well for myself. I shut it down to start the next startup.

- 2nd company was a consumer SaaS app. Had a fantastic launch, made enough to pay me, but I raised a pre-seed, got a cofounder, hired a team, and we fizzled out doing performative hyperscale bullshit (should've just kept doing what worked).

- 3rd company was a design agency. Actually did really well, consistently $3m+/year with <10 people until covid turned us upside down, we never recovered. Shut down last year.

- 4th company was a b2b SaaS app. Raised pre-seed and started to raise seed. Did well in our niche but when momentum slowed, domain expert co-founder threw in the towel and the rest of us couldn't maintain it. Shut down 6 months ago.

My team is loyal to the game, they won't quit until I do. We're now hacking on edge-level RL & robotics and we're close to having a rad demo. But after being modestly rich for years, I'm now 6 months from total broke. A lot of people tell me to take a high paying full-time job to stabilize my career, but I can't give a fuck about comfort when it feels like we're on the edge of something great. Nonetheless, I have to figure out my runway asap. Trailer park is looking like the top option.

We need a lab and at least a million to survive working on this. I'm close with all my VCs, but I'm still their serial loser, and now I'm playing in capital-intensive hardware instead of the internet hypeware I have experience in. Also this isn't like an obvious $100m ARR in 24 months thing. I'm just a weird founder doing weird things. But my only interest is grinding out a robotics platform that I think paves the road for the next million (robotics) devs.

- Has anyone else failed VC backed startups 3+ times?

- After 2 VC failures should I just get a job?

- How fucked am I in general?

  👤 leakycap Accepted Answer ✓
Working for others is a great way to support yourself while you build the framework of skills and routines that can support a business.

Freelancing or building your own businesses is more exhausting than having a job, so if you're feeling like a job might provide some relief - at least apply and try to get some interviews. You might be happier.

Don't be too hard on yourself in the meantime.

👤 JohnFen
It sounds to me like you had two successes out of four attempts. That's actually an unusually high success rate!

If I'm reading it right, your two "failures" (scare quotes because I'd count the 2nd company as a half success) are the VC backed ones. VC backed companies are a particular kind of business -- maybe that's not the style that works best for you? But that's not the only (or necessarily the best, depending) approach to starting a business.

👤 sunscream89
Don’t be silly.

Did anyone die?

Did you cheat or deceive anyone?

If you fed yourself and others and did not run afoul of any condemnable laws, YOURE DOING GREAT!!!

ARE YOU F-ING WITH IS ALL RIGHT NOW?

YOU HAVE A TALENT!

Keep shit rolling!

Things fail all the time. Keep failing forward. You definitely need a side kick or competent action based partners.

If you’re getting yourself and other people paid

YOU’RE THE WINNER!

👤 bix6
By my read you’re gonna lose your mind if you get a corporate job. Keep hacking and make something sick. I’d focus on getting some income so you and your team can eat. Then build from there.

Do you really need a mil and a lab? If so maybe an accelerator. SOSV has Hax for example.