

Ask HN: What do founders of failed startups do next? - foobar2k

I was wondering if any founders of now defunct startups could share what happened next?<p>Was it easy to get back onto the startup wagon, or did you realise it wasn't for you and move onto something different?
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jimgagnon
I was one of the founders of Abacus Concepts, a pre-internet Macintosh
startup. For thirteen years we were in start-up mode as all of our competitors
were much larger than us. After I sold, I was truly burnt out and took some
time to see the world and start a family. The money was holding out good until
the crash of dot-com and a property purchase I made -- then I had to start
looking for a job again.

For me, it was difficult because the advent of the internet changed
everything, and my resume was filled with dinosaur skills. I knew it would be
mistake to jump into the internet with my skills as they were, so I was able
to find a job doing java. Nothing exciting, but I'm getting my hands dirty
with Linux and net stuff.

Working for people sucks. The regular money is nice, but it's a pittance and
the tasks are boring. I spend my spare evenings diving into python and django
to build my own site. I'm getting kinda old for the crazy hours, with kids and
all, but if you want real financial security you either have to put in forty
years with the government and get a nice pension, or do your own thing.

I thought about a career change, but I love programming too much. Your on the
edge of a revolution they will be talking about for a thousand years, and the
money's good. Besides, what other careers can you have where you can drop out
for nine years and then jump back in again?

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pg
In the case of YC startups, a lot of them get picked up by other YC startups.
This was one of many unanticipated advantages of funding startups on a large
scale.

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ph0rque
After I resigned from my startup early last summer, I spent about two weeks
moping in the evenings/on weekends (I had a dayjob by then), then came up with
another idea that I started to work on.

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noodle
this is too situation-based to answer, really. they do what they want or need
to do. maybe that's start another, or maybe its work at a more normal job.

~~~
foobar2k
It would be great if (ex)founders could share a little bit of their situation
too, for context.

~~~
noodle
well, i'm currently working on something that i do after my 9-5. if it goes
under, its not much of a loss -- i'll probably do another. however, if i was
working on it AS my 9-5 and it went other, i imagine i could be in a bad
financial situation and need to get a solid job.

