My Startup is Tanking, But am I Safe?

My Startup is Tanking, But am I Safe? [My Startups Tanking But Am I Safe] TL;DR: In order for Founders to stay sane, we have to separate "my startup is failing" from "personal safety." It's really hard for us to separate "startup peril” with a feeling of personal safety. So often our apocalyptic version of what will happen with our startup gets exponentially grafted onto this nightmare scenario of our future selves. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s Advice Sponsored by [Startup Benefits](W7YtVjK5DS516W32xJJV5JJN0T0/*W1gbJ1J4xvnspW613y7p7-gNwZ0/5/f18dQhb0SfHG8Z99hbW5GYyXB2qwv31W1VwS8V1TKs9rMf5ncFXD6prW7cmS1s8pCQ6vW7b_fPy1ngWs5W4vgKM198cdbXW7c7F4f1njGZRW965Xt72z2tGGW7d094f6G7FblW4DFfS36RrhR2W7YQ-xN4LFTM1W5WdDDc4LZWMXW7mQZn23gMTjkW5C97XV5QKr1xW7g8M1j3g2qbpVFplh42TS6zfW62lB9x42ztSmW4stWCD3g5xDfW3Vh8C65wQg1tW39r5d53Bz6tsN8kDKtxRyH1KW35T3M63VNsc4VSbMv416rG8qVY75wK6kpc7YW42kgb48-LT1HW6hz0s82bzNQYW5-kG1b2N2vJpW2N2rVf5n9_HgN7nZ_fltVwPmVJVPVg2Wcw9KW5hfQL48pD--dW8xwkT_3_DbkPVmZwnC94hSlZW1r0jDB5cGd1rW4BbRfZ2pglVTW6vc-Z63_98rFf197WBz04) How can I feel safe when my startup is in peril? When things are going rough at our startup, the first step we need to take is to isolate the startup's outcome from our own. Our startup could end horribly. We will lose any income we had. We may lose a substantial amount of our savings or net worth. But that doesn't mean we're unsafe personally. We're capable of creating more income (yeah, a "job"), and we won't be hungry on the side of the road. Given a single year, we can come back fighting. At the moment it may feel awful. But upon reflection, we have to understand personal "safety" is rarely at risk. Why would personal safety really matter? Recognizing personal safety is critical to resetting our approach. It's like playing a video game. We know that if our character "dies" in the game, our game may be over. But we don't die — we live to fight again (unless we're in the Matrix, in which case the body cannot live without the mind). By separating our personal safety, we can start to say, "Look, I'm going to do everything I can to make this startup work, but I'm also going to recognize that I will survive even if the startup doesn't — we're not the same." Our Personal Safety is Rarely in Jeopardy For startup Founders, it's rare that our personal safety is in actual jeopardy, so the more we can reassure ourselves that we'll be fine, the better we can navigate our startups (regardless of the outcome) with a clear mind. That clear mind may be in fact what brings our startups back from the brink to begin with. --------------------------------------------------------------- [sponsored-badge] Starting up Starts Here. As a startup, it’s super common for your to-do-list to grow while your resources shrink. And that doesn’t exactly make it easy to build a thriving business. Good news- we just partnered with a ton of businesses to offer you: [Startups Benefits](W7YtVjK5DS516W32xJJV5JJN0T0/*W4XChlX8mvZHYVVV5-w8v6gnM0/5/f18dQhb0SfHG8Z99hbW5GYyXB2qwv31W1VwS8V1TKs9rMf5ncFXD6prW7cmS1s8pCQ6vW7b_fPy1ngWs5W4vgKM198cdbXW7c7F4f1njGZRW965Xt72z2tGGW7d094f6G7FblW4DFfS36RrhR2W7YQ-xN4LFTM1W5WdDDc4LZWMXW7mQZn23gMTjkW5C97XV5QKr1xW7g8M1j3g2qbpVFplh42TS6zfW62lB9x42ztSmW4stWCD3g5xDfW3Vh8C65wQg1tW39r5d53Bz6tsN8kDKtxRyH1KW35T3M63VNsc4VSbMv416rG8qVY75wK6kpc7YW42kgb48-LT1HW6hz0s82bzNQYW5-kG1b2N2vJpW2N2rVf5n9_HgN7nZ_fltVwPmVJVPVg2Wcw9KW5hfQL48pD--dW8xwkT_3_DbkPVmZwnC94hSlZW1r0jDB5cGd1rW4BbRfZ2pgnhKW6vc-Z684kNjyf197WBz04). Startup Benefits is straightforward. We’re giving our readers 80% off Startups Unlimited, and with that you’ll unlock over $50k in discounts on all of the things you need to run your business. [Just a couple](W7YtVjK5DS516W32xJJV5JJN0T0/*W7HysSp2Bj1pkW6dgBG13zgdSc0/5/f18dQhb0SfHG8Z99hbW5GYyXB2qwv31W1VwS8V1TKs9rMf5ncFXD6prW7cmS1s8pCQ6vW7b_fPy1ngWs5W4vgKM198cdbXW7c7F4f1njGZRW965Xt72z2tGGW7d094f6G7FblW4DFfS36RrhR2W7YQ-xN4LFTM1W5WdDDc4LZWMXW7mQZn23gMTjkW5C97XV5QKr1xW7g8M1j3g2qbpVFplh42TS6zfW62lB9x42ztSmW4stWCD3g5xDfW3Vh8C65wQg1tW39r5d53Bz6tsN8kDKtxRyH1KW35T3M63VNsc4VSbMv416rG8qVY75wK6kpc7YW42kgb48-LT1HW6hz0s82bzNQYW5-kG1b2N2vJpW2N2rVf5n9_HgN7nZ_fltVwPmVJVPVg2Wcw9KW5hfQL48pD--dW8xwkT_3_DbkPVmZwnC94hSlZW1r0jDB5cGd1rW4BbRfZ2pgmBPN6vc-Z6vnx7-f197WBz04) of benefits we’re excited about: - $5,000 in AWS credit - 10-30% WeWork memberships - No fees on your first $10,000 with Stripe - 20% off your first six months with Bench … and the list goes on. Ready to grow your resources? [Get Started Starting Up →](W7YtVjK5DS516W32xJJV5JJN0T0/*W20cP4w4Zs0KPW4-BdYp5-3XR70/5/f18dQhb0SfHG8Z99hbW5GYyXB2qwv31W1VwS8V1TKs9rMf5ncFXD6prW7cmS1s8pCQ6vW7b_fPy1ngWs5W4vgKM198cdbXW7c7F4f1njGZRW965Xt72z2tGGW7d094f6G7FblW4DFfS36RrhR2W7YQ-xN4LFTM1W5WdDDc4LZWMXW7mQZn23gMTjkW5C97XV5QKr1xW7g8M1j3g2qbpVFplh42TS6zfW62lB9x42ztSmW4stWCD3g5xDfW3Vh8C65wQg1tW39r5d53Bz6tsN8kDKtxRyH1KW35T3M63VNsc4VSbMv416rG8qVY75wK6kpc7YW42kgb48-LT1HW6hz0s82bzNQYW5-kG1b2N2vJpW2N2rVf5n9_HgN7nZ_fltVwPmVJVPVg2Wcw9KW5hfQL48pD--dW8xwkT_3_DbkPVmZwnC94hSlZW1r0jDB5cGd1rW4BbRfZ2pgn_FW6vc-Z66XS7r5f197WBz04) --------------------------------------------------------------- In Case You Missed It W7YtVjK5DS516W32xJJV5JJN0T0/*W8HW8_J6Rxp83W8PRwbP4smx5q0/5/f18dQhb0Smj38Z99mYW5GYyXB2qwv31W1VwS8V1TKs9rMf5n28XD6prW7cmS1s8pCQ6vW7b_fPy1ngWs5W4vgKM197KzmVW2ybRTX98zZXmW69_67C50F4lSW7mWzmh973GnSW96LK703Tm8C1W6R2Z3c96LDYDW62vB8f2z2tGGW7d094f6G7FblW4DFfS36RrhR2W7YQ-xN4LFTM1W5WdDDc4LZWMXW7mQZn23gMTjkW5C97XV5QKr1xW7g8M1j3g2qbpVFplh42TS6zfW62lB9x42ztSmW4stWCD3g5xDfW3Vh8C65wQg1tW39r5d53Bz6tsN8kDKtxRyH1KW35T3M63VNsc4VSbMv416rG8qVY75wK6kpc7YW42kgb44n70fnW6hz0s82bzNQYW5-kG1b2N2vJpW2N2rVf5n9_HgN7nZ_fltVwPmVJVPVg3tPfdHW5hfQL48pD--dW8xwkT_3_DbkPVmZwnC94hSlZW1r0jDB5cGd1rW4BbRfZ2pglVTW6vc-Z6618D_6f2lhnJv04 [How to be resilient after failing.](W7YtVjK5DS516W32xJJV5JJN0T0/*W3gCvtC3YRQpVW8YTy14513Dgz0/5/f18dQhb0S5fn8YZys5W8bzGcz2wqbgQW6Pc32D62M2pQVRqVCr7fMH_HW4NfVNZ9h3lwCW6YGzj45YNDkWW3CRB7K3ptR8HW60SlKz2L-3_CW4P7xhW85zzlgW7vgvnf589z97W5m1LQT35s7tFW8hvFmF7MN3h6W3j7LjS41LD6WW5H_KmS5RlSdTW5xNCj88mGgznW313MJ58xV2M5W5jdMHX5jhsZPW3hQYk_5hfq3rW8KRlP55B1ZKbW5tSf_58KnxJzW3Tjngh5lk1_RN8Bs_3kP6GL0W8NjPcF3sHkrCW5tcBYH6RgMpGW8qC4f09647DxW5jnTNZ3LJw5xW1cWBQQ2n-JCSW1nhjZw8xycwMVfHmy06bCz74N2BPLzjhzVNsW75f7r78csGDVVD2JF57nSXs6W5qK2T65rbnjHW5B2myn5CHFcgW5hlsvs1-6w1jVsjV005XTqHLW21LzMB6RRBHYW2B6jsf10Mr1KW8XcXG87bBtYZW6Qmzqq1NwBMnN1MVsRj1XtLzf1cJfj403) developing a successful business is an exercise in flexibility — and failure. But learning how to be resilient in the face of failure may not come naturally for all. Here are three strategies to developing the right emotions and mindset. [The top 13 reasons why startups fail.](W7YtVjK5DS516W32xJJV5JJN0T0/*W3XJc262cZZMPN4C2Bl1F35w_0/5/f18dQhb0SmhZ8YXN5qW2R-v8d5VQHwBW5DjT175CX8v2W4R4L4l57mvFqW3BJFQw8Vm6N7W8h2zk-5mJnDnW6YHzwY9gpvndW5Z8lRP9gRJ7-W7NyhgJ79T-D6W8lwYZ056QG2-N4ynzkVB38DwW51vDHv8QKpyrW4sj3hV2BcyM9W1mGWmC5Pm7FJMQLhX7RtjfZN6ccT8vd20BHW8pP-K14WKxmGW3tpfsY8Ks7tBW5jp9TN1nXVlgW628L-J3gLf7VW8QT_VL8L6d0XW3hxpRn60qjGBW3QYbc-5FBRfdW15VBZG3Tl93cW101B4M16ZqPqW34vT7g5mhzw6W3TWFTJ5Hx9-RW3zxVgq4fnbvlN6kPF9BwZy_fVcZLWR86l4pCW8xTkVT8h2wmqW83lNT45rVXj0W2Mw4vC3nN2mrW17wJvs5hfQL4W8pD--d8xwkT_N3_DbkPmZwnCW94hSlZ1r0jDBW5cGd1r4BbRfZW2pglVT6vc-Z6W299PTy1WCRGg0) Failure is an essential part of the startup ecosystem — but no one wants to fail. To help you avoid that fate, here are the top reasons why startups fail. [How to shut down gracefully (podcast).](W7YtVjK5DS516W32xJJV5JJN0T0/*W2G9Fl26rgRJHW5j_D6c7JgJV50/5/f18dQhb0Smj08Z9b8CW5GYyXB2qwv31W1VwS8V1TKs9rMf5q7YXD6prW7cmS1s8pCQ6vW7b_fPy1ngWs5W4vgKM197NtZSW5G172269zD6gW1Hlmp32Km0ZPW2WdcJY7y3yHXW20X_797zLV65W2NnQ5K4bQW_qW6c44xS4grLCTW2F7jV22F8sLjW1FX9pQ7k9FtqW92Znx-2QwfCJW7qtznV4mbgp8W1Y8pkB7mJwX1W4hLJQS52DPm9W4mH6md1MkrtpW7q8x6T3q7BrFW8WS23_9dBQ0GW7jN5446yptQ1VCZw7K1bvz2dVH8C0l8YRkXpV7Rsx57NT0d3N5-s51q6Q977W4L0s217N2x7qW72zrXT712wFYW1mL30W3gk2KWW5B5Q7b5nHJSLW3P2m5K5PZ4whN77HGcw10N9FW5xfgk18nrdkSW6q7vyH4L8z52W8tk0f_86vmjdW1wNStc6fg3blMmRw0WdXyXbV1dJ5Q7zRL-R103) Everyone talks about starting companies, but nobody ever tells us how to shut them down. Wil and Ryan break down how to wind down a startup with as much grace as possible. W7YtVjK5DS516W32xJJV5JJN0T0/*W1wQ05N2Bd4HzW7Wnv-Q2NcvHh0/5/f18dQhb0S83f8Z99sHW5GYyXB2qwv31W1VwS8V1TKs9rMf5mldXD6prW7cmS1s8pCQ6vW7b_fPy1ngWs5W4vgKM197NtZSW5G172269zD6gW1Hlmp32Km0ZbW1LhNxQ6Dy4V9W7zLV652NnQ5KW4bQW_q6c44xSW4grLCT2F7jV2W2F8sLj1FX9pQW7k9Ftq92Znx-W2QwfCJ7qtznVW4mbgp81Y8pkBW7mJwX14hLJQSW52DPm94mH6mdW1Mkrtp7q8x6TW3q7BrF8WS23_W9dBQ0G7jN544N6yptQ1CZw7KN1bvz2dH8C0lN8YRkXp7Rsx5W7NT0d35-sdZXW49kJcm6ZFh6rW3zXm3v8csLSqW112p1w3q79N7W3n8Fh65H-xHcW310QLX3T-8H6W5J0bHm4px_r2W4QDcJ_1ttPbtW2RdGzh41vZ2NW2_yHKc7gwJzgW2bRP1c48WZyCN8K9yMgrVprCW56gBW-85d4jlf1MKFFx04 Thanks from the Startups Team, [Startups-employee-avatars_Wil-1] Wil Schroter Founder, CEO and Startup Sensei [Startups-employee-avatars_Ryan] Ryan RutanCMO and Man with the Golden Podcast Voice [Startups-employee-avatars_Ben] Ben SheidlowerWriter and King of Dad Jokes Startups.com, 1322 Manning Parkway, Columbus, OH 43065, USA, (800) 997-9714 [Unsubscribe]( [Manage preferences](