[ChuckMcM]

   > My motivation levels are also pretty low after so many
   > repeated failures.

Several startups? Or failures in a single startup? Have you sat down and spent some time evaluating the failure? What did you not know that you would have liked to have known? What skills worked? Which didn't? Etc.

Many people I've known have gone to work for a larger, more stable, company to build up a reserve before putting their hat back in the ring. Sometimes they will take a different job (like working in product management instead of engineering) to round out their skill sets based on what they felt good at, or weak at, during their startup experience. Others have gone back to school to get additional training that way.

Much of it depends on your resources and what your mental state. I find it to write down in a journal as many things I can think of from the previous experience and what strategies would have either made them more impactfull or mitigate their damage. If nothing else it meant I was unlikely to repeat previous mistakes.

[blinduck]

3 failed products across 2 different startups, over a period of about 3 years. I definitely feel I've learnt a great deal over the last few years. I've grown as a developer, but also learnt about things like management and marketing.

I think this is good advice. I've never worked in a corporate environment, and I might get a job just to see what that's like.

I'm definitely going to compile and reflect on all the mistakes I've made over the last couple years.

[Animats]

The success rate for VC-funded startups is historically about 10%. About 20% fail outright. The rest often end up in zombie mode, able to cover their expenses at some reduced level of activity but unable to pay back their investors.

In some ways it's better to fail. You have to stop and go do something else, rather than being on a death march to nowhere.