Most successful entrepreneurs have a few failures under their belt, and most "overnight" successes are the result of years' of hard work – and in many cases years' of trial and error. Before writing history with Angry Birds, Rovio had already launched 51 games that you've probably never heard. Brian Chesky described AirBnB as a an "'overnight' success that took 1,000 days".
I've had my fair shares of failures as well. It took me a text adventure for the C64 (never completed), a mail-order business for Amiga shareware (a decent success for a student business, but discontinued when the Amiga died), a PC real-time simulation game (nice game, but didn't manage to get it properly distributed) and several other attempts before I had a decent success with DealPilot.com, which I co-founded in 1997. Likewise, as an investor I've made several investments that didn't work out before landing my first big hit with Zendesk.
Considering how normal and necessary failure is in the startup world, it's surprising how many VCs are afraid of admitting failure when it happens: Logos are quietly removed from portfolio pages*, asset deals are arranged to make it look like a successful exit, PR stories are written. What's even worse is if the death of a dying startup is delayed by putting more money into it, all out of fear of admitting failure.
If you invest in early-stage startups, you know that a large part of them, maybe more than half, won't make it. The rest of the world knows it too. So why not be open about it?
* We're guilty of this too, but we're thinking that we should keep all logos on the page and add a "R.I.P." badge when a startup died. What do you think?
I've had my fair shares of failures as well. It took me a text adventure for the C64 (never completed), a mail-order business for Amiga shareware (a decent success for a student business, but discontinued when the Amiga died), a PC real-time simulation game (nice game, but didn't manage to get it properly distributed) and several other attempts before I had a decent success with DealPilot.com, which I co-founded in 1997. Likewise, as an investor I've made several investments that didn't work out before landing my first big hit with Zendesk.
Considering how normal and necessary failure is in the startup world, it's surprising how many VCs are afraid of admitting failure when it happens: Logos are quietly removed from portfolio pages*, asset deals are arranged to make it look like a successful exit, PR stories are written. What's even worse is if the death of a dying startup is delayed by putting more money into it, all out of fear of admitting failure.
If you invest in early-stage startups, you know that a large part of them, maybe more than half, won't make it. The rest of the world knows it too. So why not be open about it?
* We're guilty of this too, but we're thinking that we should keep all logos on the page and add a "R.I.P." badge when a startup died. What do you think?
R.I.P. looks honest option and actually provides additional details while considering application. After all we better understand an investor and his interests also based on the failures. Hence, experience.
ReplyDelete+1 for R.I.P. Agree that Failures are important everywhere, and tolerance for failures is necessary to success in any creative or highly experimental activity.
ReplyDeleteWho are suggestable German VCs for a natural hotspring expansion project?
ReplyDeleteGood idea for RIPs. Most founders are aware of that and trying to decrypt the BS on VC's website so it's certainly a good indication of transparency
ReplyDeleteI would love to see that type of transparency but unfortunately the world of business is all about positive and positive spin. It won't happen, but it's a nice thought. There are too few genuine and open people in the business world, or they start open and honest but lose their ideology and greed sets in. Greed drives the business world.
ReplyDeleteCraig Rennick
RIP for startups would be great. Also I think it would be great if VC would point out their own failures, saying which startups they declined to invest in but ultimately turned out to be great companies. The Anti-Portfolio by Bessemer is a great example http://www.bvp.com/portfolio/antiportfolio
ReplyDeleteGreat failures are often rewarded with great experience, wisdom, discoveries, contacts and opportunities. If possible make survival provision for the worst case scenario.
ReplyDelete