A raw and unfiltered Reddit post by a former SaaS founder has gone viral after he candidly admitted to being a “shitty founder” and listed the mistakes that killed his startup. The post is causing a lot of online chatter about entrepreneurship and the unspoken realities behind the startup success stories.
Cofounder Commitment Questioned
The founder did not mince words about the lack of equal commitment from his partner, admitting that he had carried most of the burden alone.
“My cofounder was never really in. This one still stings. I genuinely thought we were building this thing together but looking back, every time it got scary, I was the only one losing sleep. He kept his day job, kept his safety net and somehow I convinced myself that was fine. He’s being smart… I told myself. No, he just wanted to play entrepreneur on weekends. Should’ve seen it coming when he’d disappear for two weeks and come back with ‘Sorry, work got crazy.’”
Money Mismanagement and Startup Burnout
The Redditor also acknowledged the financial missteps that accelerated the downfall of the company, highlighting how poorly planned spending quickly drained their runway.
“Remember when I thought $50k would last us a year? LOL. Try six months when you’re paying for tools you don’t need and a coworking space that makes you feel legitimate. By the time I realized we were broke, investor meetings felt like job interviews for a position I’d already been fired from.”
In addition to finances, the founder confessed that instead of focusing on execution, he wasted countless hours consuming content about startups rather than engaging with real customers. “I probably spent more time reading ‘How I Built This’ transcripts than actually talking to customers,” he admitted.
Leadership Struggles
Perhaps the toughest realization, the Redditor said, was acknowledging his shortcomings as a leader.
“I was too nice to be a leader. This hurts to write. I wanted everyone to like me so badly that I became useless as a boss. When our developer missed deadlines, I’d just… absorb it. When we needed to pivot and someone pushed back, I’d cave instead of making the call. I thought being understanding made me a good leader. Turns out it just made me weak.”
The post ended with the founder reflecting on whether to attempt another venture, though with lingering fear of repeating past mistakes. “I’m sitting here now wondering what the hell I’m gonna do next. Part of me wants to try again, but I’m scared I’ll just make the same mistakes. At least now I know what they are,” he concluded.
Disclaimer: This story is based on a post shared by a Reddit User. The details, opinions, and statements quoted herein belong solely to the original poster and do not reflect the views of Financialexpress.com. We have not independently verified the claims.