Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn?

Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by stretchwithme on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @12:35AM (#18012495)

Well, it didn't completely fail yet. It's still going 13 years after I left, actually. But part of the struggles were brought on by my mistake with a military customer that probably cost us the contract.

This was back at the beginning of the Iraq war. Our main contact told me the US should attack France, as they weren't supporting the invasion. I made the mistake of saying I was glad he was executing policy, not making it.

Oops. They started migrating to another product. Oh well.

Lesson is, if you're going to object to what a customer thinks, do it when its your own company. It's not really fair to make such a choose for everybody at your company. Kind of self indulgent, actually.

And people are entitled to their opinions and my mouthing off didn't change anything. An exercise in futility that only cost us.

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by scabarott on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @02:59AM (#18013131)

This sounds like a story straight out of the Onion, or Dr. Strangelove. That must've been one kooky customer.

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by solveit on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @12:38AM (#18012505)

Attack? As in invade??

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by adventured on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @12:42AM (#18012513)

You can't take people like that too seriously, the world is filled with plenty of nuts. During the Bush vs Gore chaos right after the election, the people - from another developed nation - I was working with on a start-up told me they hoped the US would collapse into civil war over it (they wanted to see the US suffer a political catastrophe for a change, they said).

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by Leigho15_M on Monday September 24, 2018 @06:08PM (#18061905)

That is a nutty idea!

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by the_clarence on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @02:50AM (#18013083)

I mean. What could you have told that stupid guy

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by tim333 on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @06:23AM (#18013982)

I find sarcastic positivity often is good eg. "that's a really great idea - you should be president." Let's you take the piss and often they think you're being serious.

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by beaconstudios on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @10:32AM (#18015638)

or just be professional and divert the topic to something else so you don't have to give an opinion on craziness. The guy was probably just mouthing off anyway and responding literally isn't going to do anyone any favours.

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by stretchwithme on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @02:06PM (#18017663)

Exactly.

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by r3vo on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @04:20PM (#18018758)

It's kind of a question of integrity. Do we have a moral obligation to disagree with something someone says that we feel is wrong? Even if it's not in our interest to do so?

Maybe we do, maybe we don't.

Personally, if someone with a large influence on my income says something I find offensive or outright idiotic, I disagree in a polite way that shows that I respect their opinion even if I don't. If I feel that it would really offend them I'm not above lying and pretending that I do.

Sometimes I feel morally conflicted about this, but it's kept me out of trouble.

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Re:Ask HN: Why did your startup fail and what did you learn? by stretchwithme on Wednesday September 19, 2018 @09:55PM (#18029186)

I think that's wise. I could have done that. I actually sort of insulted him and that was probably unnecessary.

But if I had expressed an opinion explicitly maybe there'd have been a debate. Probably just should have said "I can't agree with that, but you are entitled to your opinion."

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