Ram Gangisetty
@ramgangisetty.bsky.social
As a recovering failed startup founder, I study failed startups and reveal why 90% of startups FAIL ☠️ .
Learn from their mistakes and …. DON’T be one of them 🚫.
Start here 👉: https://startupobituary.com/
📍Silicon Valley
Pinned
Ram Gangisetty
@ramgangisetty.bsky.social
· Jan 25
🚨 Startup Failure Trends 2025: A Thread 🚨
Failure Rates
1. Approximately 90% of startups fail overall
2. 21% of startups fail in the first year
3. 30% fail within two years
4. 50% fail by the fifth year
5. 65% fail within the first ten years
Failure Rates
1. Approximately 90% of startups fail overall
2. 21% of startups fail in the first year
3. 30% fail within two years
4. 50% fail by the fifth year
5. 65% fail within the first ten years
Startup Obituary : Astra
AI sales startup that couldn’t close its own deal
startupobituary.com/p/astra
AI sales startup that couldn’t close its own deal
startupobituary.com/p/astra
Startup Obituary : Astra
The AI sales agent that couldn't close its own deal
startupobituary.com
August 16, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Startup Obituary : Astra
AI sales startup that couldn’t close its own deal
startupobituary.com/p/astra
AI sales startup that couldn’t close its own deal
startupobituary.com/p/astra
Experiment Boldly, But Plan for Profit
🚀 Sip’s innovative curation captivated users, but lacking a clear revenue model led to its downfall. Build your vision with a plan for profit!
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/sip
#StartupLessons #Monetization #Innovation
🚀 Sip’s innovative curation captivated users, but lacking a clear revenue model led to its downfall. Build your vision with a plan for profit!
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/sip
#StartupLessons #Monetization #Innovation
June 4, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Experiment Boldly, But Plan for Profit
🚀 Sip’s innovative curation captivated users, but lacking a clear revenue model led to its downfall. Build your vision with a plan for profit!
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/sip
#StartupLessons #Monetization #Innovation
🚀 Sip’s innovative curation captivated users, but lacking a clear revenue model led to its downfall. Build your vision with a plan for profit!
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/sip
#StartupLessons #Monetization #Innovation
Your Best Feature Can Be Replaced
📞 Free international calls made Skype famous, but WhatsApp & FaceTime made it easier. Never rely on a single unique feature.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/skype
CompetitiveEdge #ProductStrategy #StartupLessons
📞 Free international calls made Skype famous, but WhatsApp & FaceTime made it easier. Never rely on a single unique feature.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/skype
CompetitiveEdge #ProductStrategy #StartupLessons
June 3, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Your Best Feature Can Be Replaced
📞 Free international calls made Skype famous, but WhatsApp & FaceTime made it easier. Never rely on a single unique feature.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/skype
CompetitiveEdge #ProductStrategy #StartupLessons
📞 Free international calls made Skype famous, but WhatsApp & FaceTime made it easier. Never rely on a single unique feature.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/skype
CompetitiveEdge #ProductStrategy #StartupLessons
📣 “Execution > Pedigree.”
Even the inventor of Android couldn’t save Essential.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#founderlessons #startup
Even the inventor of Android couldn’t save Essential.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#founderlessons #startup
Startup Obituary : Essential
Essential Products: The Rise and Fall of Andy Rubin’s Smartphone Vision. Inside the PH-1’s Bold Design, Record-Breaking Funding, and the Corporate Missteps That Doomed a Silicon Valley Unicorn
startupobituary.com
June 3, 2025 at 5:23 PM
📣 “Execution > Pedigree.”
Even the inventor of Android couldn’t save Essential.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#founderlessons #startup
Even the inventor of Android couldn’t save Essential.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#founderlessons #startup
Every startup should aim for balance: Marketing, product development, and customer experience ALL matter. ⚖️ InVision’s imbalance was its undoing. #StartupSuccess
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/invision
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/invision
June 3, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Every startup should aim for balance: Marketing, product development, and customer experience ALL matter. ⚖️ InVision’s imbalance was its undoing. #StartupSuccess
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/invision
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/invision
Tomorrow's Startup Obituary post is about AI company that had great mission, founder and backing and success- yet it closed down. Find out about L1ght in tomorrow's edition of StartupObituary
June 3, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Tomorrow's Startup Obituary post is about AI company that had great mission, founder and backing and success- yet it closed down. Find out about L1ght in tomorrow's edition of StartupObituary
💥 Raised $330M
💎 Unicorn status pre-launch
📦 Sprint-only distribution
End result? Shutdown in 2020.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#founderfailures #startup
💎 Unicorn status pre-launch
📦 Sprint-only distribution
End result? Shutdown in 2020.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#founderfailures #startup
Startup Obituary : Essential
Essential Products: The Rise and Fall of Andy Rubin’s Smartphone Vision. Inside the PH-1’s Bold Design, Record-Breaking Funding, and the Corporate Missteps That Doomed a Silicon Valley Unicorn
startupobituary.com
June 3, 2025 at 3:57 AM
💥 Raised $330M
💎 Unicorn status pre-launch
📦 Sprint-only distribution
End result? Shutdown in 2020.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#founderfailures #startup
💎 Unicorn status pre-launch
📦 Sprint-only distribution
End result? Shutdown in 2020.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#founderfailures #startup
Andy Rubin invented Android.
Then he raised $330M to reinvent the phone.
It was beautiful. Bold.
And then—Essential shut down.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startup #hardware #founderlessons
Then he raised $330M to reinvent the phone.
It was beautiful. Bold.
And then—Essential shut down.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startup #hardware #founderlessons
June 3, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Andy Rubin invented Android.
Then he raised $330M to reinvent the phone.
It was beautiful. Bold.
And then—Essential shut down.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startup #hardware #founderlessons
Then he raised $330M to reinvent the phone.
It was beautiful. Bold.
And then—Essential shut down.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startup #hardware #founderlessons
Hardware isn’t just hard.
It’s brutal.
Essential proves that beauty alone can’t sell devices.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#hardware #tech
It’s brutal.
Essential proves that beauty alone can’t sell devices.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#hardware #tech
June 2, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Hardware isn’t just hard.
It’s brutal.
Essential proves that beauty alone can’t sell devices.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#hardware #tech
It’s brutal.
Essential proves that beauty alone can’t sell devices.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#hardware #tech
“When the competition is innovating faster than you, you’re already losing. ⏳ InVision’s V7 delays opened the door for Figma’s success. Speed matters! #TechLeadership #Execution
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/invision%E...
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/invision%E...
Startup Obituary : InVision
The Rise and Fall of a Design Collaboration Pioneer
startupobituary.com
June 2, 2025 at 5:23 PM
“When the competition is innovating faster than you, you’re already losing. ⏳ InVision’s V7 delays opened the door for Figma’s success. Speed matters! #TechLeadership #Execution
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/invision%E...
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/invision%E...
🔥 🔥 Just published 🔥 🔥
Startup Obituary : Olive
AI Must Work, Not Just Sound Good
🤖 Olive AI promised full automation, but human intervention was still needed. Don’t overhype tech—deliver real value.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/olive
#AIHype #ProductExecution #StartupLessons
Startup Obituary : Olive
AI Must Work, Not Just Sound Good
🤖 Olive AI promised full automation, but human intervention was still needed. Don’t overhype tech—deliver real value.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/olive
#AIHype #ProductExecution #StartupLessons
June 2, 2025 at 4:24 PM
🔥 🔥 Just published 🔥 🔥
Startup Obituary : Olive
AI Must Work, Not Just Sound Good
🤖 Olive AI promised full automation, but human intervention was still needed. Don’t overhype tech—deliver real value.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/olive
#AIHype #ProductExecution #StartupLessons
Startup Obituary : Olive
AI Must Work, Not Just Sound Good
🤖 Olive AI promised full automation, but human intervention was still needed. Don’t overhype tech—deliver real value.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/olive
#AIHype #ProductExecution #StartupLessons
Experiment Boldly, But Plan for Profit
🚀 Sip’s innovative curation captivated users, but lacking a clear revenue model led to its downfall. Build your vision with a plan for profit!
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/sip
#StartupLessons #Monetization #Innovation
🚀 Sip’s innovative curation captivated users, but lacking a clear revenue model led to its downfall. Build your vision with a plan for profit!
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/sip
#StartupLessons #Monetization #Innovation
June 2, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Experiment Boldly, But Plan for Profit
🚀 Sip’s innovative curation captivated users, but lacking a clear revenue model led to its downfall. Build your vision with a plan for profit!
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/sip
#StartupLessons #Monetization #Innovation
🚀 Sip’s innovative curation captivated users, but lacking a clear revenue model led to its downfall. Build your vision with a plan for profit!
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/sip
#StartupLessons #Monetization #Innovation
👎 Bad camera at launch
🧩 No app ecosystem
📣 No marketing muscle
📦 Weak carrier support
That’s how unicorns die.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startupexecution #VCfailures
🧩 No app ecosystem
📣 No marketing muscle
📦 Weak carrier support
That’s how unicorns die.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startupexecution #VCfailures
Startup Obituary : Essential
Essential Products: The Rise and Fall of Andy Rubin’s Smartphone Vision. Inside the PH-1’s Bold Design, Record-Breaking Funding, and the Corporate Missteps That Doomed a Silicon Valley Unicorn
startupobituary.com
June 2, 2025 at 5:01 AM
👎 Bad camera at launch
🧩 No app ecosystem
📣 No marketing muscle
📦 Weak carrier support
That’s how unicorns die.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startupexecution #VCfailures
🧩 No app ecosystem
📣 No marketing muscle
📦 Weak carrier support
That’s how unicorns die.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startupexecution #VCfailures
Zume had a robot named Pepe. Another named Marta.
But no one cared—because the pizza sucked.
👉 UX > gimmicks.
startupobituary.com/p/zume
#ProductFirst #StartupAdvice
But no one cared—because the pizza sucked.
👉 UX > gimmicks.
startupobituary.com/p/zume
#ProductFirst #StartupAdvice
June 2, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Zume had a robot named Pepe. Another named Marta.
But no one cared—because the pizza sucked.
👉 UX > gimmicks.
startupobituary.com/p/zume
#ProductFirst #StartupAdvice
But no one cared—because the pizza sucked.
👉 UX > gimmicks.
startupobituary.com/p/zume
#ProductFirst #StartupAdvice
The team behind Essential built one of the most admired devices in Android history.
But no one bought it.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuptruth #founderfail
But no one bought it.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuptruth #founderfail
June 2, 2025 at 12:13 AM
The team behind Essential built one of the most admired devices in Android history.
But no one bought it.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuptruth #founderfail
But no one bought it.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuptruth #founderfail
📱 The Essential Phone launched with a titanium frame, ceramic back, and the world’s first notch.
Sales? Just 150,000 units.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuplife #productlaunch #techhistory
Sales? Just 150,000 units.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuplife #productlaunch #techhistory
Startup Obituary : Essential
Essential Products: The Rise and Fall of Andy Rubin’s Smartphone Vision. Inside the PH-1’s Bold Design, Record-Breaking Funding, and the Corporate Missteps That Doomed a Silicon Valley Unicorn
startupobituary.com
June 1, 2025 at 8:14 PM
📱 The Essential Phone launched with a titanium frame, ceramic back, and the world’s first notch.
Sales? Just 150,000 units.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuplife #productlaunch #techhistory
Sales? Just 150,000 units.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuplife #productlaunch #techhistory
The product was personal.
🙏 Faith. Family. Filtered content.
VidAngel built around deep values.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/vidangel
#Startup #Founder
🙏 Faith. Family. Filtered content.
VidAngel built around deep values.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/vidangel
#Startup #Founder
June 1, 2025 at 5:23 PM
The product was personal.
🙏 Faith. Family. Filtered content.
VidAngel built around deep values.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/vidangel
#Startup #Founder
🙏 Faith. Family. Filtered content.
VidAngel built around deep values.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/vidangel
#Startup #Founder
The market turned.
Investors ghosted.
The burn rate didn’t stop.
Reali collapsed in months.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/reali
#startupcrash #vc
Investors ghosted.
The burn rate didn’t stop.
Reali collapsed in months.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/reali
#startupcrash #vc
June 1, 2025 at 4:24 PM
The market turned.
Investors ghosted.
The burn rate didn’t stop.
Reali collapsed in months.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/reali
#startupcrash #vc
Investors ghosted.
The burn rate didn’t stop.
Reali collapsed in months.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/reali
#startupcrash #vc
🎯 Lesson: Validate before you scale. Fast’s rapid growth without solid market fit strained operations. What startups can learn 👉 startupobituary.beehiiv.com/p/startup-ob... #StartupAdvice #Growth
Startup Obituary: Fast
How a One-Click Checkout Startup Burned $124.5 Million in Pursuit of E-Commerce Glory
startupobituary.beehiiv.com
June 1, 2025 at 1:03 PM
🎯 Lesson: Validate before you scale. Fast’s rapid growth without solid market fit strained operations. What startups can learn 👉 startupobituary.beehiiv.com/p/startup-ob... #StartupAdvice #Growth
Essential’s PH-1 had the first notch.
Apple copied it.
But Apple sold 200M phones.
Essential sold 150k.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuphype #techfail
Apple copied it.
But Apple sold 200M phones.
Essential sold 150k.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuphype #techfail
June 1, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Essential’s PH-1 had the first notch.
Apple copied it.
But Apple sold 200M phones.
Essential sold 150k.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuphype #techfail
Apple copied it.
But Apple sold 200M phones.
Essential sold 150k.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuphype #techfail
Essential’s PH-1 had the first notch.
Apple copied it.
But Apple sold 200M phones.
Essential sold 150k.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuphype #techfail
Apple copied it.
But Apple sold 200M phones.
Essential sold 150k.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuphype #techfail
June 1, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Essential’s PH-1 had the first notch.
Apple copied it.
But Apple sold 200M phones.
Essential sold 150k.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuphype #techfail
Apple copied it.
But Apple sold 200M phones.
Essential sold 150k.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#startuphype #techfail
Essential raised from Amazon, Tencent, and Playground.
Unicorn status in year two.
But execution?
Never got past the prototype stage.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#venturecapital #startuplessons
Unicorn status in year two.
But execution?
Never got past the prototype stage.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#venturecapital #startuplessons
Startup Obituary : Essential
Essential Products: The Rise and Fall of Andy Rubin’s Smartphone Vision. Inside the PH-1’s Bold Design, Record-Breaking Funding, and the Corporate Missteps That Doomed a Silicon Valley Unicorn
startupobituary.com
June 1, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Essential raised from Amazon, Tencent, and Playground.
Unicorn status in year two.
But execution?
Never got past the prototype stage.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#venturecapital #startuplessons
Unicorn status in year two.
But execution?
Never got past the prototype stage.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#venturecapital #startuplessons
Lesson's from Sam Altman's first startup, Loopt, in tomorrow's newsletter at StartupObituary .com
May 31, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Lesson's from Sam Altman's first startup, Loopt, in tomorrow's newsletter at StartupObituary .com
📈 Byju’s went all-in on acquisitions, buying Aakash and WhiteHat Jr. But integrating these businesses proved costly and complex. The lesson? Scale smarter, not faster.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/startup-ob...
#StartupGrowth #LessonsFromFailure
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/startup-ob...
#StartupGrowth #LessonsFromFailure
May 31, 2025 at 5:23 PM
📈 Byju’s went all-in on acquisitions, buying Aakash and WhiteHat Jr. But integrating these businesses proved costly and complex. The lesson? Scale smarter, not faster.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/startup-ob...
#StartupGrowth #LessonsFromFailure
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/startup-ob...
#StartupGrowth #LessonsFromFailure
The anti-iPhone, built by Android’s creator.
Essential was sleek, open, pure Android—and unsellable.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#techfail #smartphones #founderlessons
Essential was sleek, open, pure Android—and unsellable.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#techfail #smartphones #founderlessons
Startup Obituary : Essential
Essential Products: The Rise and Fall of Andy Rubin’s Smartphone Vision. Inside the PH-1’s Bold Design, Record-Breaking Funding, and the Corporate Missteps That Doomed a Silicon Valley Unicorn
startupobituary.com
May 31, 2025 at 2:20 PM
The anti-iPhone, built by Android’s creator.
Essential was sleek, open, pure Android—and unsellable.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#techfail #smartphones #founderlessons
Essential was sleek, open, pure Android—and unsellable.
🔗 startupobituary.com/p/essential
#techfail #smartphones #founderlessons