In 2013, a failing founder posted their story on Hacker News (link). The responses were overwhelmingly supportive: “Failure is just an event, not who you are.” “Get back up and try again!” “This is valuable experience for next time.”
Fast forward to 2025. Another founder shares their journey of six failed attempts (link). The sentiment in the comments is strikingly different: “Would have been better to work at BigTech.” “The rat race isn’t worth it.” “Most interesting stories remain buried while we’re presented with a somewhat skewed reality.”
This shift isn’t isolated to these two posts. The same forum that championed “fail fast, fail often” now regularly questions whether the startup path makes sense at all.
What’s changed?
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The human cost has become more visible. Stories of burnout, failed relationships, and mental health struggles are no longer swept under the rug of “hustle culture.”
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Big Tech compensation has transformed the risk-reward equation. When senior engineers can make $300K+ at established companies, the financial argument for startups becomes harder to justify.
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The VC model’s limitations have become apparent. The focus on hypergrowth and exits has left many founders feeling trapped between authentic business building and investor expectations.
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The industry has matured. The low-hanging fruit of the mobile/web era has largely been picked, making truly innovative opportunities harder to find.
I believe we’re entering what might be called a “Startup Winter” – not because startups have stopped being created, but because the mythology around them has frozen over.
What might emerge from this winter could be a startup ecosystem that’s less glamorous but more authentic. One where alternative paths to innovation are celebrated alongside the traditional VC-backed route.
