It's not about why startups are failing - it's about understanding exactly what happens to you personally when they do. When I talk to a lot of people about starting a company, they tend to be freaked out about "losing everything". I try to explain to them that it's rarely as bad as they think (the downside). Everyone I know that's "failed" has recovered in some way. But my data set is limited, so I'm reaching out to get other's viewpoints.

I lost $30,000 of my own money when my startup failed back in the day. It kind of sucked.

I could have used that money to get a master's degree, or put a down payment on a house.

I didn't have to live on the street and go to soup kitchens, but startup failure did set me back about 5 years economically. I had to work at jobs I did not particularly enjoy, and live in shitty shared roommate situations for longer than I would have liked in order to get out of debt.

If I had simply taken the job I was offered at Google way back when instead of trying to do my own startup, I'd be as rich as Marissa Meyer right now.

So yeah it isn't that bad and you do recover but it isn't the greatest experience.

If you'd be willing to share more details, pls email me wschroter at yahoo

OTOH I appreciate what Wil is doing, have you every heard of the Stockdale Paradox? You might want to give it a quick read but here's a snippet for you just to give you an idea

"This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end -- which you can never afford to lose -- with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be." The Stockdale Paradox, coined by Jim Collins in Good to Great (Collins, 2001).

nuff said.

I think you're over-reacting. There's nothing wrong with talking about the impact of a failed venture...in my experience, it's usually less damaging to ones ego and lifestyle than losing a regular job. Though my experience may be non-representative.

Nonetheless, most grownups understand that things don't always work out, and that it's not sufficient reason not to pursue ones dreams.