[prostoalex]

Just assume the failure to get it over with and free yourself of the anxiety. Now, there's failing and there's failing gracefully. To fail gracefully, it helps if

* your start-up is acquihireable - you have a lean highly talented team with no visa issues concentrated in one geographic location

* you produce IP that will retain value after startup fails - patents, trade secrets, know-how, maybe stuff you can open source and put on your resume when the time comes to send one out

* the business you're working on can theoretically survive on customer revenue alone without a cash infusion from an investor