I admire this post as an exception to the usual cheerful failure porn. Failing sucks.

But-I-learned-something is the very least you can achieve without being in a coma.

The time is lost.

Your waning bank account measures your (and maybe your families) prospects in an undeniably meaningful way.

The silver lining is...there isn’t one. The loss of time, energy, and money is something to grieve for. Every day is a reminder that it all could have been better spent.

When jumping into a startup, the question “why not” has very real and consequential answers. Beware and take this shit seriously.