Startup Graveyard
Failure patternsAbout

Startup failure patterns

The same problems show up again and again. Study the pattern before it becomes your postmortem.

No product-market fit

8 stories

  • Google Stadia

    A cloud gaming service that struggled to convince users to switch from traditional platforms. Cause of death: No product-market fit Product-Market Fit...

  • Color

    A heavily funded social app that failed to deliver a clear or compelling user experience. Cause of death: No product-market fit Lesson: Funding does not...

  • Blackberry

    BlackBerry was once the dominant smartphone platform for business users, known for its physical keyboard, security, and email capabilities. As smartphones...

Flawed business model

5 stories

  • Vine

    A short-form video platform that failed to retain creators due to lack of monetization. Cause of death: Flawed business model Monetization Failure Lesson:...

  • Pets.com

    An online pet supply company that couldn't sustain the cost of shipping low-margin goods. Cause of death: Flawed business model Bad Unit Economics Lesson:...

  • Beepi

    A used car marketplace that couldn't sustain its operational and logistics costs. Cause of death: Flawed business model Unit Economics Lesson: Margins...

  • Ran out of cash

    3 stories

    • Digital Dream Labs

      A robotics company that acquired Anki's Vector and Cozmo robots, hoping to keep them alive, but ultimately ran out of funding before building a sustainable...

    • Jawbone

      Jawbone was a consumer electronics company known for Bluetooth speakers and wearable fitness trackers. After early success, the company struggled in the...

    • Pebble

      Pebble was one of the pioneers of the smartwatch industry, raising over $10 million on Kickstarter and building a passionate community of users. Despite...

    Legal or regulatory issues

    2 stories

    • Napster

      Napster was a peer-to-peer file-sharing platform that revolutionized how people discovered and shared music online. The service grew rapidly and attracted...

    • Homejoy

      Homejoy was an on-demand home-cleaning marketplace that aimed to make booking a cleaner as easy as ordering an Uber. It grew quickly after Y Combinator and...

    Scaling too fast

    2 stories

    • WeWork

      A coworking company whose aggressive expansion and financial model proved unsustainable. Cause of death: Scaling too fast Unsustainable Growth Lesson:...

    • Webvan

      An online grocery delivery service that expanded too quickly without proven demand. Cause of death: Scaling too fast Premature Scaling Lesson: Validate...

    Poor execution

    1 story

    • Juicero

      A $400 juicer that offered little value beyond what users could do by hand. Cause of death: Poor execution Overengineering Lesson: If a simpler solution...

    Technology failure

    1 story

    • Theranos

      A blood-testing startup that collapsed after its core technology failed to deliver. Cause of death: Technology failure Product Integrity Lesson: You cannot...

    Timing or market conditions

    1 story

    • Quibi

      A mobile-first streaming platform that failed to match how users actually consume content. Cause of death: Timing or market conditions Market Timing...