"I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found
10,000 ways that will not work."
- (Thomas Edison)
I’m the founder of a failed cybersecurity startup. Or, to use Edison’s perspective, I’ve successfully found multiple ways for my startup not to make a profit. But Edison’s positive spin on failure is bullshit. Only a scientist or an tenured academic on a salary has the luxury of failing so many times. When you’re an entrepreneur over 50, like I am, the stakes are much higher. When you have others depending on you, the pressure doubles with every failed attempt to turn things around. Energy is sapped. Resources, already limited, are further drained. Pretty soon, exhausted, you may find yourself contemplating options that you can’t put words to.
I decided, instead, to put words to my experience of crushing force as a change agent in the hope that I can find a solution for myself, my company, and help others who may be in similar circumstances. In other words, I’d love to hear from you if anything in this article resonates.
