🆘 Failed founder stories are on the rise

Yesterday, I came across a post on LinkedIn from a Dutch entrepreneur^* that made me stop scrolling. A few hours later, a similar message popped up on my Twitter feed from a founder who was winding down her startup. The outpouring of support for posts like these is a refreshing change, but we should normalize failure and lessons learned.

I named this newsletter the Flawed Founder because I was (and am) disillusioned by the prevalence of success stories in the media and on social feeds. I know many successful people who live from paycheck to paycheck and are far from the mythical unicorn status. However, their net worth is valued based on their business potential, such as paper money.

We need to share more about the flaws, mistakes, and pitfalls of building startups -- or working in general.

Let me be clear: this isn't about wallowing in failure or discouraging aspiring entrepreneurs. It's about painting a realistic picture of what it truly means to build a business from the ground up. The entrepreneurial journey is not a straight line to success; it's a winding road filled with unexpected turns, steep climbs, and, yes, occasional dead ends.

First, let's address the elephant in the room: failure. It's not just expected; it's a rite of passage in the startup world. Statistics show that about 90% of startups fail. That's not meant to scare you; it's meant to prepare you. Every successful entrepreneur I know has at least one failed venture in the past. Some have several. These aren't just learning experiences; they're battle scars that shape resilience and inform future decisions.