
Ask HN: How true is it that ninety-something percent of startups fail? - capocannoniere
In particular, what counts as a &quot;startup&quot;? i.e. what&#x27;s the denominator in (# startups that succeed) &#x2F; (# of startups)?<p>Given other signals, e.g. if the founders have quit their jobs to work on the idea full-time, how does that ~90% number change? Especially if founders have legitimate credentials such as Stanford CS degree.<p>From experience, the percentage of serious startups (ie founders working full time) started by Stanford CS&#x2F;MBAs that succeed is orders of magnitude higher than the number that is typically thrown out. Admittedly, that may just be survivorship bias
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itamarst
[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443720204578004...](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443720204578004980476429190)
suggests 3/4 of venture backed companies fail (and defines failure).

Credentials have nothing to do with success of a startup, though they might
impact success at getting funding.

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ElderScrolled
It is a property of nature. Death, not life is the norm.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/K_selection_theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/K_selection_theory)

