When you want to quit because it’s just not worth it
Most startups fail “only” because the founders stop working on them, and often it’s because it’s emotionally draining. I don’t care who you are or how strong your ego is, you will have these moments—perhaps a continuous stream of moments—when you can’t take it anymore.
I cannot remember the number of times I was so overwhelmed at Smart Bear that I almost threw in the towel. Close the bank accounts, close the doors, turn off the website, bounce the email, and just…
Sounds dramatic, but it’s no exaggeration. You’ll hit these walls too. I know you will because this is what people admit in little rooms with other people who truly understand and won’t name them publicly, and also there’s a steady stream of people saying it out loud on Twitter, many times per day.
You expect these moments to happen at the beginning of startup life—when you’re least confident, have the worst product, and the least knowledge about your customers and the market. Paul Graham and Trevor Blackwell captured it pretty well:
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