Ask HN: Failed co-founders what made you happy next

[throwawayjaja1]

i read a book once that we don't know what will make us happy but one good datapoint is to talk to people who have been in that situation.

i'm an early-30s co-founder of a midwest startup that is a little over 5 years old and is going to fail in the next 6 months, i'm afraid. i learned a lot, especially business-wise during my tenure and also technically.. but 5 years seems like a long time since my previous 2-year successful exit.

i think i can tickle my contacts, whom of which i have many, and find something new. But i'm very sad at the idea of this huge failure. Those of you that have been through this ...and others also- what things made you happy after the end of the failed business?

Sorry for the throwaway, had to obscure for obvious reasons ;-P