6 Lessons for Startups from a Museum Dedicated to Failure by Sean Jacobsohn - HBR
- nurysotelo4
- Feb 3, 2025
- 1 min read
You’ve probably heard about billion-dollar startups and successful entrepreneurs, but here’s the harsh truth: failure is the norm, not the exception. In fact, U.S. startup failures have skyrocketed by 60% in the past year. 💀
So, what goes wrong? 🤔 A researcher studied over 1,000 failed businesses (yes, there’s even a Failure Museum) and found that almost all flops fall into six major traps:
🔥 The Six Forces of Failure:💡 No Product-Market Fit – If no one actually needs what you’re selling, your business is doomed. Just ask Harley-Davidson, which thought bikers wanted...cologne. 🚫🏍️
💰 Financial Mismanagement – Too much spending, not enough revenue = game over. Webvan burned $757 million before realizing people weren’t ready for online groceries.
🙅 Ignoring Customers – If your product disappoints, no one’s sticking around. Apple’s Newton flopped because it couldn’t even read handwriting! ✍️🚫
⚔️ Brutal Competition – Myspace ruled social media...until Facebook left it in the dust. Keep innovating, or get replaced.
⏳ Bad Timing – Amazon’s Fire Phone came too late to challenge iPhones. Even a giant like Amazon can fumble. 🔥📵
🤯 Weak Leadership – From Theranos to WeWork, bad leadership kills companies. No strong vision = no future.
But here’s the good news: Failure teaches. Every successful entrepreneur has messed up at least once. The key? Learn, adapt, and avoid these six traps.
👉 Want to know how to build an unbreakable business? Click on Read More to read the full article and future-proof your success. 🚀
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